Friday, August 16, 2002
Saints 24, Dolphins 7
The Associated Press
MIAMI — New Orleans defensive tackle Norman Hand wrapped his big hands around Ricky Williams' helmet and slung him to the ground for a 2-yard loss in the second quarter. It was the closest thing Williams got to a hug from his former teammates Thursday night.
“I haven't been able to hit him practice the last two years, so it felt pretty good to go out there and compete against him in a real game,” Hand said. “We wanted to shut him down. ... Our focus was to stop the run.”
Mission accomplished.
Williams, traded from New Orleans to Miami in March, ran eight times for 17 yards and was ineffective for the second consecutive preseason game as the Saints beat the Miami Dolphins 24-7.
The former Heisman Trophy winner ran five times for 9 yards against Tampa Bay on Monday. He was slightly better against the Saints, averaging 2.1 yards per carry.
“It's disturbing, but that's what preseason is for — to find out what we need to work on,” Williams said. “I wanted to play a bit more, but that's not for me to decide. It's a process of getting looks, and that will happen in time. I don't think I need a lot of carries to get going.”
His replacement in New Orleans was much better, proving that the Saints might not miss Williams, after all.
Deuce McAllister ran 11 times for 42 yards and caught three passes for 28 yards — all in the first half — and helped New Orleans build a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
“We didn't get the short end of the stick,” Saints receiver Joe Horn said. “I think Deuce is a better running back than Ricky Williams. I said that all along. He does more things with the football than Ricky.
“Ricky is a power running back. Thirty, 40 times a game he'll run over linebackers. Deuce is more elusive. He can make a linebacker miss and go to the house with it. I didn't see Ricky do that, regardless if he said we didn't block.”
The Saints also got plenty of assistance from the mistake-prone Dolphins.
Jay Fiedler threw three first-half interceptions, and Miami had a special teams breakdown for the second time in as many preseason games. The Dolphins also were flagged eight times for 54 yards in the first half.
Fiedler, who missed much of training camp following hip surgery, regressed in his second start in a four-day span. Fiedler was 4-of-6 passing for 36 yards in a loss to the Buccaneers.
He was 8-of-19 for 83 yards against the Saints. Although he was under heavy pressure much of the half, Fiedler was off target on many passes. He played six series on a night when he was supposed to go 20 plays, staying in the game to try to work through his mistakes.
“I was disappointed in the placement of my throws,” Fiedler said. “I'm usually more accurate that that. I was off balance and didn't get my feet set.”
Fiedler threw interceptions on three of four possessions.
The Dolphins' other drive ended even worse, with Fred McAfee coming unblocked up the middle and blocking Mark Royals' punt. Sammy Knight picked it up and ran 38 yards for a touchdown that made it 10-0. The Buccaneers returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown Monday against Miami.
Four Miami possessions that ended with four bad plays helped New Orleans jump out to a 17-0 lead.
“There's no way you can expect to win turning the ball over four times, and one of them for a touchdown,” Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt said. “It's obvious that Jay needs a lot of work. He's behind, and we're fortunate that we have three weeks before we play to get that done.”
Notes: Dolphins LB Zach Thomas did not play because of a fever. ... Dolphins DT Tim Bowens left with a right toe injury. ... Saints LB Curtis Holden did not return after hyperextending his left knee. He will have an MRI on Friday. ... Dolphins FS Trent Gamble left with a bruised right thigh.
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Saints 24, Dolphins 7 
