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The Dolphins are one of the hottest teams in the NFL, having won six games in a row after a 31-24 win over the Jets on Sunday. They are 7-7 and one game back of an AFC playoff spot. Their last loss came almost two months ago, on Oct. 31, in Buffalo against the Bills, which dropped them to 1-7. Their six-game winning streak consists of victories over the Texans, Ravens, Jets (twice), Panthers and Giants. They’re led by third-year coach Brian Flores, who has compiled a 22-24 record. The last time the Saints and Dolphins played was in 2017 in London – a game which the Saints won 20-0. The Saints are three-point favorites on Monday Night Football.

COVID/Injury Update: On Monday, the Dolphins did some shuffling around on the Reserve/COVID list – removing WR Jaylen Waddle and RB Phillip Lindsay, while placing backup CB Justin Coleman on the list. Waddle and Lindsay did not play Sunday against the Jets, in addition to starting safety Jevon Holland, who was activated off the list prior to the game but did not play. The Dolphins are expected to get all three players back this week. WR Will Fuller, who has been on injured reserve most of the season with a finger injury, suffered setbacks and will miss the remainder of the season, Flores said Monday.

Scouting the Offense: The Dolphins offense ranks 23rd in the league in points (20.4) and yards per game (314.7). While it’s not the strong suit of the team, it has been better on this six-game win streak. Much of the offense hinges on the play of second-year QB Tua Tagovailoa, who has played much better of late. Over the last four games, Tagovailoa has a touchdown-turnover ratio of 8-3, and a completion percentage of 75. On Sunday, Tagovailoa was aided by the Dolphins rushing for 183 total yards, their highest total of the season. The Dolphins have co-coordinators in George Godsey (the primary play caller) and Eric Studesville. They have set out to make this offense easy for Tagovailoa to operate, with a lot of RPOs and underneath, high-percentage throws that aim to keep them ahead of the chains. Like most quarterbacks, he is at his best when kept clean by the offensive line, but it especially applies to the left-handed Tagovailoa. He’s got very good short-intermediate accuracy and is capable of playing very clean, efficient football. However, he lacks top arm strength and a true ability to stress a defense vertically. Even when it comes to long, “across-hash” throws, the ball just doesn’t jump out of his hand like you’ll see from some of the top gunslingers.

The position group that has deterred the Miami offense from reaching greater heights has been the offensive line. Per Pro Football Focus, the Dolphins OL has given up the most pressures in the league, and they’ve been last in that category practically all year. It’s also a large reason for their 28th-ranked rushing offense (86.6 yards per game) – despite Sunday’s successes on the ground. General manager Chris Grier and Flores have done a lot of good things in their efforts to rebuild Miami’s franchise, but the mission to build a strong offensive line hasn’t come easy. From a game-planning standpoint, all five of these offensive linemen are players the Saints can attack. Center Michael Deiter and RG Robert Hunt, when they’ve been in the lineup, have been the steadiest, but they are both still young players with a lot of improving to do. Coming into the season, the team thought they had a franchise left tackle in 2020 first rounder Austin Jackson, but he struggled so much that it prompted them to kick him inside to LG and roll with rookie second-round pick Liam Eichenberg at LT. Eichenberg is still a major work in progress – and certainly presents a matchup for Dennis Allen to take advantage of. He’s better in the run game than in pass protection, and he’s really struggling to play technically sound, particularly with his timing and hand placement. He’s been beat by wide speed and power. He has not played with good balance and body control. Playing left tackle as a rookie can definitely be “baptism by fire,” and the Dolphins are hoping Eichenberg can turn into a productive player. The Dolphins OL presents an opportunity for the Saints front four to make an impact on this football game. More on this in the “matchup to watch” section.

Looking at the skill players, there’s two players that have really been a focal point of what the Dolphins do in the pass game: Jaylen Waddle and Mike Gesicki. Waddle, the sixth overall pick in April’s draft, has lived up to the hype and then some, as he’s been a consistent part of the game plan. Waddle has thrived as a consistent chains-moving weapon that can make defenders miss with the ball in his hands. He’s a player all defenses have to key on – as is mismatch TE Mike Gesicki. Gesicki has been one of the better tight ends this season from a receiving standpoint, ranking fifth with 685 receiving yards. He’s a free agent this offseason, and I’m surprised Dolphins brass hasn’t signed him to an extension yet considering he’s a former second-round pick that has continued to improve every year he’s been in Miami. He’s an athletic freak with a large catch radius that poses a problem for the Saints. The Dolphins love springing him free on deep over routes off play action when they can suck up the linebackers, allowing him to uncover for chunk plays. Veteran WR DeVante Parker is also a tough cover – he’s a difference-making contested catch receiver with size and strong hands. While this is an offense with clear weaknesses (running game, offensive line), it’s a unit that’s performed better of late and possesses skill players that can really impact the game.

Scouting the Defense: The catalyst of Miami’s turnaround from 1-7 to 7-7 has been the ascent of this defense into one of the league’s tougher units to face. Flores and defensive coordinator Josh Boyer stem from the Belichick coaching tree, and you definitely see similarities philosophically with how the defense is run. Miami deploys their personnel in a very role specific manor, with certain players along the front seven that play almost exclusively in one or two packages. They are very deliberate about what roles they put certain players in and what matchups they create for those players – a sign of an organized and thoughtful coaching staff. It’s a defense that likes to play aggressive, with a lot of different pressures and looks they show an offensive line pre-snap, including a lot of “Cover 0.” Earlier in the year they failed in generating pressure how they needed to and had a lot of coverage miscommunications, something that’s been much better the last couple of months.

Personnel wise, this defense was built from back to front, also a philosophy stemming from Belichick. This secondary is anchored by two star cornerbacks in Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. Having two corners that you trust in nearly all matchups is huge for a defense, as it allows Miami to feel much more comfortable playing man coverage and dialing up pressure. Howard has always been a ball hawk, and he’s putting together yet another impressive campaign – he has four interceptions, 14 pass breakups and two forced fumbles. The play of rookie safety Jevon Holland has also elevated Miami’s play on the back end. Taken in the second round in April’s draft, there was considerable buzz about Holland during training camp, and he sure looks like an impact player for a long time. He’s got excellent play speed, range, and football instincts – a combination that usually leads to a very successful safety. Holland usually is the “post” or deep safety, where he uses his instincts and burst coming forward to consistently be around the ball.

Along the front seven, the Dolphins have key foundational pieces in Defensive tackles Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis, edge Jaelen Phillips, and ILB Jerome Baker. Wilkins and Baker are third- and fourth-year players, respectively, who have continued to improve over their careers. Baker is the signal caller for the defense and has good three down value. Phillips, the Dolphins second of two first-round picks this year, is a clear arrow-up guy – his development this year has been huge for their pass rush. He’s got very good quickness and play speed off the edge, and is highly effective in a variety of rush packages Miami has due to his unique athletic skill set. The Dolphins appear to have hit big on their first three picks in April’s draft (Waddle, Phillips and Holland). This defense poses a lot of problems for all opponents, and Sean Payton and the offensive staff will need to figure out the best way to navigate Miami’s pressure and diverse looks they’ll show. As has been the case with the 2021 Saints, getting a steady running game going and remaining on schedule will be crucial – this is not a defense you want to face on third-and-long.

Scouting the Special Teams: Miami’s special teams are led by coordinator Danny Crossman, who’s been with the team since 2019. During the offseason they made quite an investment to kicker Jason Sanders, signing the 2018 seventh-round pick to a five-year, $22 million extension. Sanders was outstanding in 2020 earning All-Pro honors, but has been less effective this season, making 18 of 24 field goals for a 75% mark - the lowest of his career. The Saints will face a left-footed punter for the fifthtime this season in Miami’s Michael Palardy. Darren Rizzi and the Saints know Palardy well from his time with the Panthers (2016-2019). In the return game, it’s a heavy dose of rookies as Waddle serves as the primary kick returner and Holland is the primary punt returner. Another common theme of Belichick disciples (and around the league for that matter) is the allocation of two or more roster spots to players who are mainly just cover specialists, and the Dolphins have that in Cethan Carter, Clayton Fejedelem, and Mack Hollins. Carter and Hollins lead the team with 8 tackles.

Matchup to watch: Saints front four vs Dolphins OL, Tua Tagovailoa

Given how dominant New Orleans’ defensive line was Sunday night in Tampa Bay, I’d think Miami’s emphasis on keeping Tagovailoa upright and allowing him to play on schedule is an especially strong point this week. Miami truly does possess one of the worst offensive lines in the sport, and their QB is a much better, more efficient player when he isn’t under duress. Monday night will be a pressure cooker game for both teams in what figures to be a raucous Caesars Superdome, and it’s an opportunity for Cam Jordan and this front four to put their stamp on yet another game. This is a clear mismatch, and if the Saints want to continue the style of winning we’ve seen the last two games, wreaking havoc up front and forcing Tagovailoa to make decisions and throws under pressure (where he struggles) figures to be a big part of that. Advantage Saints.