The Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints are 3-0 this season and one team will be leaving on Monday Night Football with a loss as the two teams face off on ESPN at 8:30 PM from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in Louisiana.
The game will be on ESPN on Monday night with overage starting with Monday night countdown and then the Saints and Dolphins will kickoff around 8:30 pm. Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden will be on the call as usual and the Dolphins will be heading out on the road for the third time in four games as they play the Saints in New Orleans. The game is the first of two Monday night football games for each team this season, with the Dolphins also playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers later in the year as well.
The Dolphins opened the season on the road with a 23-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns, while the second week saw Ryan Tannehill best fellow 2012 first round draft pick Andrew Luck as Miami defeated the Colts in Indy by the score of 24-20. The team looked very impressive last week improving to 3-0, as they defeated the Atlanta Falcons at home 27-23 in a close matchup to stay undefeated in the second season under Joe Philbin and Tannehill.
The quarterback play has been one of the main reasons for the success, as is the signings of players like Mike Wallace and Dannell Ellerbe this offseason. The team has a tough stretch to start the season with the Colts, Falcons, Saints and then the Baltimore Ravens before heading into a bye in Week 6, as three of those four teams made the playoffs last season. The Saints did not, but they are a better team than that and with Sean Payton back in the fold, it's clear why.
After the bye week the team plays some AFC East teams, as they will host the Buffalo Bills for their third home game, and then they will travel to play the Patriots up north, which is always a tough test. The Dolphins will tie the Patriots atop the AFC East with a win on Monday, which would put them both at 4-0, joining the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks as the only undefeated teams left. The Bengals come up next and they are just coming off a loss to the Browns, while the Monday night game against the Bucs is in Week 10. The Dolphins will host the Chargers and Panthers next and then have a divisional game at the Jets.
The Steelers in Week 14 could be tough since the team likely will have nothing to lose, while the AFC East finishes the schedule with the New England Patriots at home, the Buffalo Bills on the road and then the Jets at home for Week 17. The Dolphins have been more balanced this season on offense than last year and while the rush defense has been mediocre, the passing defense has been improved from last season and they will need it against Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham on Monday night.
