MIAMI — Drew Brees emerged from the Saints’ locker room with a fresh cut under his chin and another between his eyebrows.
He made the Dolphins look worse.
Brees and unbeaten New Orleans fell behind for the first time all season, then overcame a 21-point deficit Sunday to beat Miami 46-34 in a shootout.
The NFL’s highest-scoring team topped 40 points for the fourth time this season and outscored the Dolphins 22-0 in the fourth quarter.
“There was no doubt on our sideline we would come back and win,” said Brees, who passed for 298 yards. “They had given us their best shot, and we had played about as bad as we could play.”
Brees had his worst day of the season, with three interceptions, a lost fumble and five sacks.
But the former Purdue star led touchdown drives of 82, 79 and 60 yards on successive possessions in the second half to put New Orleans ahead.
Tracy Porter’s 54-yard interception return then sealed the win for the Saints (6-0), who are off to their best start since 1991 and are the only unbeaten team in the NFC.
“It can be a season-defining win,” said Saints linebacker Scott Shanle. “This was a test we hadn’t faced yet, and we couldn’t be happier with the way we responded.”
Brees threw for one touchdown and scored twice. After his 2-yard keeper with 8:35 left gave the Saints their first lead, he celebrated by dunking the ball over the crossbar.
“There are times in the game when a team just needs an emotional lift,” he said. “I felt like I had to do something to get everybody hyped. The first thing that came to mind was to dunk it.”
Fading at the finish, the Dolphins (2-4) fell 2 1/2 games behind AFC East leader New England.
“This was our game to win,” said Miami running back Ricky Williams. “We fought and we fought. They just fought harder at the end.”
Williams carried only nine times but tied a career high with three touchdowns rushing — including a 68-yard run, the longest of his career. At that point, the Dolphins appeared en route to a stunning blowout.
By the time the Saints picked up their second first down 22 minutes into the game, Miami led 24-3.
“With Drew Brees, it’s like the score is 0-0,” Miami cornerback Vontae Davis said. “We knew they would come back and that it would be a tough game.”
With the Saints trailing by 21 points, coach Sean Payton sent his field goal unit into the game. During a timeout, Brees lobbied for a shot at a touchdown.
“I just told him I’d get it,” Brees said. “I said, ‘I’ll get the touchdown. I know exactly what to do.’ “
The Saints’ offense returned to the field and Brees plunged across the goal line to make the score 24-10.
After forcing a punt, the Saints mounted the go-ahead drive to make it 37-34. John Carney hooked the extra-point try wide, but he hit a 20-yard field goal with 3:23 left.
Trying to mount their own comeback, the Dolphins dropped two passes and committed two penalties before Chad Henne was intercepted by Porter on a fourth-and-13 play.
