Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara Lead Saints to 1st-Ever London Shutout vs. Dolphins

The New Orleans Saints dominated the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday morning, 20-0, holding Miami's listless offense to just 186 yards from scrimmage.       

Drew Brees led the way for New Orleans (2-2), meanwhile, finishing 29-of-41 for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Alvin Kamara had a breakout performance, catching 10 passes for 71 yards and a score, while Michael Thomas added eight receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Jay Cutler finished 20-of-28 for 164 yards and an interception for Miami (1-2). He was also sacked four times.

The first half was marked by 13 penalties, poor execution and missed opportunities. Ony Wil Lutz's field goal to close the half broke the scoreless deadlock.

That 3-0 score mirrored the match played at Wembley the day before, as Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk noted:

It's safe to say that Tottenham Hotspur's scoreline was more entertaining for the fans. Sunday's first half was more of a sludge, as quite a few folks pointed out online: 

The Saints showed a bit more life in the second half, as Brees orchestrated an 11-play, 77-yard drive on the first possession in the third quarter that culminated in a three-yard touchdown pass to Thomas.

A Lutz field goal gave the Saints a 13-0 lead heading into the final frame before an 11-play, 87-yard drive late in the fourth quarter—capped off by a Kamara catch-and-scamper for a score—wrapped things up in London. 

For the Saints, it was an occasionally sloppy but ultimately dominant performance, and one they'll take into their bye week before a home game against the Detroit Lions kicks off a stretch of four home games in six weeks.

One interesting subplot for the Saints, however, was that Adrian Peterson was given just four carries on the day for four yards. Mark Ingram, meanwhile, rushed 14 times for 45 yards and Kamara added five carries for 25 yards. Kamara was the hot hand in the team's offense and Ingram seems to be the preferred between-the-tackles option, making it harder to see a significant role developing for Peterson in this offense.

For Miami, meanwhile, it's safe to say the team is nearing crisis mode after such a lackluster performance Sunday. Scoring just six points in two weeks against the New York Jets and Saints—two teams hardly renowned for their defense coming into the season—is a major concern and will raise questions about the job security of Cutler.

It put a few things in perspective for Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, however: 

If things don't turn around in Miami, and fast, Dolphins' fans may soon find themselves appreciating the play of backup quarterback Matt Moore.