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A weekly examination of the Dolphins' ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 20 | Last Week: 7 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

I must say, I’m shocked the Miami Dolphins didn’t move down in this week’s ESPN.com Power Rankings. Miami was lambasted on national television in a 38-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on "Monday Night Football."

This was a measuring stick game for Miami, and we pretty much knew who was the better team after two quarters. Sloppy play and four turnovers were too much for the Dolphins to make it competitive.

Are the Dolphins still the seventh-best team in the NFL? I didn’t feel as though I saw a top-seven team last night. The gap between the Saints -- ESPN.com's No. 3 team -- and Miami was large.

Dolphins fans have been screaming about more respect this year. Fans in Miami certainly can’t complain this week as ESPN.com's panel showed the Dolphins plenty of respect by not dropping them at all after losing by three touchdowns.

An examination of four hot issues from the Miami Dolphins' 38-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints:

Where the Dolphins stand: Last week, I mentioned several times that the “Monday Night Football” game against the Saints would provide a good measuring stick for the Dolphins. It turns out Miami isn’t close to being an elite team. At 3-1, the Dolphins are merely a second- or third-tier team finding its way. There’s nothing wrong with that for this young group. However, Miami was disappointed it didn’t at least have a better showing in front of a national audience. Losing by three touchdowns only furthers the national perception that the Dolphins aren’t a serious contender.

Ryan Tannehill lays an egg: We hadn’t seen it in a while, but the Dolphins second-year quarterback laid his first egg of the 2013 season against New Orleans. Tannehill threw for 249 yards, one touchdown and had four turnovers. Tannehill had a costly fumble and threw three interceptions. It’s extremely difficult to win on the road when the quarterback is turning over the football that much. Tannehill had been playing at an MVP level in the first three weeks. The Dolphins are only going to go as far as Tannehill takes them. So these kind of awful performances for the young quarterback need to be few and far between.

Protection issues: The Dolphins have struggled with pass protection in every game this season. Miami allowed another four sacks Monday against the Saints. Tannehill is the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL through four weeks with 18. The Dolphins must figure out a way to stop the leaks in pass protection soon before Tannehill gets injured. Once the Saints got the lead, they were able gear up against the pass and manhandle Miami's offensive line.

Champs up next: The Dolphins can’t sulk following their first loss of the season. Miami has another important game coming up against the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens at Sun Life Stadium. We are going to find out a lot about Miami and its ability to bounce back from losses. This is another golden opportunity for the Dolphins to make a statement in the AFC and improve to 4-1 before the bye week. The Dolphins have had a very tough schedule to start the season. If they can enter the bye with four victories, that will be a major accomplishment.

NEW ORLEANS -- For the most part, the Saints and Dolphins were respectful of one another following New Orleans’ 38-17 drubbing of Miami on “Monday Night Football.” But there was one wild card in the Saints' locker room.

Outspoken New Orleans linebacker Junior Galette took Miami’s offensive line to task after the Saints registered four sacks and forced four turnovers. Galette had a sack and second-half hit on Ryan Tannehill's arm that forced one of his three interceptions.

Apparently, that was enough for Galette to rip Miami's offensive linemen afterward.

“We got some turnovers and got the offense going and just fueled off each other,” Galette told Saints reporters Monday night. “Up front we just kept taking advantage of their weak tackles and their inside guys. I wish we could play them again so we could tee off on them again.”

But Galette did not stop there.

“It was a nice win, but I don’t think that team was as good as everybody was saying,” he said. “We just abused their offensive line all game.”

According to Galette, the Dolphins (3-1) were “talking so much trash while we were up by 25.” That may have had something to due with his postgame comments.

Although Galette may have embellished a bit, the Saints did win the battle in the trenches. That is becoming a disturbing trend for Miami's offense. The Dolphins have allowed more quarterback sacks (18) than any other team, and that has to change sooner rather than later.

Here are the top Miami Dolphins stories Tuesday from around the web:

• Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says the Dolphins (3-1) proved they are not elite in a 38-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints (4-0).

Morning take: The gap was pretty wide between the Saints and Dolphins on Monday night. Miami isn’t an elite team. But we are going to find out how good the Dolphins are next week coming off a loss.

• Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel explains how Saints running back Darren Sproles exploited weaknesses in the Dolphins’ defense.

Morning take: Sproles caught seven passes for 114 yards and two total touchdowns. He was the player the Dolphins couldn’t solve and had a huge impact.

• Brian Briggane of the Palm Beach Post says Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill showed his inexperience.

Morning take: Four turnovers is way too much on the road. Tannehill tried to force things and put the team on his shoulders, but that didn’t work.

• Andy Kent of the Dolphins team site writes return specialist Marcus Thigpen showed a new dimension.

Morning take: Thigpen was one of the few bright spots for Miami. He earned more reps at running back and showed some explosiveness. The Dolphins certainly need more explosive plays from their running backs.

NEW ORLEANS -- Some lessons can only be learned the hard way. For the Miami Dolphins, the harshest of NFL lessons came Monday against the undefeated New Orleans Saints.

The Saints and quarterback Drew Brees were the main performers and the Dolphins the obvious understudies. The stage was the rowdy Mercedes Benz Superdome, and the result was a 38-17 loss for the Dolphins that can only be classified as a disaster on ESPN's "Monday Night Football."

Miami entered the game with a perfect record, but the Dolphins learned they are far from perfect.

There was not much the Dolphins did right in this game. And with each passing quarter, the gap between Miami and an elite title contender like New Orleans got wider and wider.

This loss was not a fluke -- it was an old-fashion beatdown. Miami's coaches and players know where they stand after this game and realize there is still plenty of work to do.

"You watched the game like everybody did -- and we played it," Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes said. "We saw that they were the better team. They were a better team today."

The Dolphins thought they were ready for prime time after their 3-0 start. Miami has not played on Monday night since its 38-24 loss to the New England Patriots more than two years ago. This loss to New Orleans was worse. It was, by far, Miami's sloppiest performance of the season. They played careless football for four quarters with little attention to detail. Miami turned the football over four times.

The Dolphins did not look like the same efficient and effective football team that we saw during the first three weeks. Neither did Ryan Tannehill. Miami's second-year quarterback threw for 249 yards and one touchdown but had the third three-interception game of his career. Tannehill also had a big fumble in the first half that started Miami's downhill slide.

Tannehill's protection also was not very good. Once the Saints got the lead, they unleashed the pass rush on Miami's one-dimensional offense and recorded four sacks. Tannehill has been sacked 18 times, which is tied for the most of any NFL quarterback after four games this season. About the only thing Miami did well offensively was run the football. But that was rendered obsolete after the Dolphins fell behind big in the second half.

The Dolphins will only go as far as Tannehill's arm takes them. This was a good lesson for Miami's starting quarterback, who fell to 10-10 in his young career as a starter.

"It doesn't matter if we lose by one or we lose by whatever we lost by, it's still counts as a loss and nothing more," Tannehill said. "We're not happy with it. We need to correct the mistakes."

Miami's ability was tested on Monday. But next week is when we truly learn about the Dolphins' character.

Coming off a short week of preparation, Miami will host the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens (2-2) at Sun Life Stadium. Not only are the Dolphins coming off their first loss, but they will be trying to recover from a three-touchdown pounding that could potentially shake their confidence. Miami has a much-needed bye the following week.

The Dolphins have a chance to go into the bye with a 4-1 record if they are able to quickly rebound from this embarrassing loss.

"I feel like we're going to learn and see about our character and what kind of guys we have in our locker room," Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace said. "I haven't been here long, but I feel like we have guys who are going to fight, we have guys who are going to compete and go back to work.

"I know tomorrow [Tuesday] when we get back to work, we're still going to compete like we're 4-0."

The Dolphins looked far from a 4-0 team Monday in New Orleans. But a 3-1 start in the first month of the season is pretty good for this young group, especially considering Miami's tough schedule.

Will the Dolphins bounce back?

"Honestly, I'm not [worried]," Grimes said. "It sucks. Nobody wants to lose like that. But I have full confidence in this locker room and this organization that can come back to the next game.

"We got a home [game], and just come back to playing Miami Dolphins-style football against the Ravens. That's what we're all thinking about right now."

Questions about the Dolphins might not linger if they had played a more competitive game. But being throttled by the Saints on national television shows there are a lot of flaws that need to be addressed.

"How you respond to the loss is more important than the loss," Dolphins right tackle Tyson Clabo said. "I think nobody is going to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves. We obviously have a lot of work to do."

Drew Brees had another dominant Monday Night Football game for the New Orleans Saints.

Let’s run through all the accolades of his ninth straight Monday Night win, a rout of the Miami Dolphins.

Brees had his 21st game with at least four touchdown passes, tying Dan Marino for the third-most all-time. Only Peyton Manning (24) and Brett Favre (23) have more.

Brees had his 10th game with at least 400 passing yards. The only quarterback with more is Marino, who has 13. All 10 of those games came since joining the Saints in 2006. No other quarterback has more than five 400-yard games in that span.

It was also Brees’ ninth straight game with at least 300 passing yards. That ties the NFL record for the longest such streak, a mark he set in 2011 and 2012. No other NFL quarterback has had more than six straight.

Brees has five games on Monday Night Football with at least four touchdown passes, tied with Marino for the most all-time.

The 400-yard, four-touchdown combo on Monday Night Football is a special one. It’s been done by five quarterbacks: Marino in 1983, Randall Cunningham in 1998, Manning in 2000, Tom Brady in 2011 and now Brees.

Lastly, the nine-game winning streak on Monday nights is impressive too. It’s tied with Joe Montana for the third-best ever, trailing only Ken Stabler (11 straight) and Steve Young (10).

How he dominated
Brees won this game with long and mid-range throws. He was 8-for-10 for 201 yards and two touchdowns on passes traveling more than 10 yards downfield.

The supporting cast
Darren Sproles had both his first rushing and receiving touchdowns of the season and cleared 100 yards receiving by the end of the first half. He’s the fourth player to have at least 100 receiving yards, a touchdown catch and touchdown run in a Monday Night Football game. The other three are Tony Galbreath (1979), Jerry Rice (1994) and Marshall Faulk (2000).

Jimmy Graham caught two touchdown passes and now has a touchdown catch in five straight games dating back to last season (only Wes Welker, with six straight, has a longer active streak).

Graham joined Antonio Gates (2010) as the only tight ends with six touchdown catches in his first four games of a season.

NEW ORLEANS -- Observed in the locker room after the Miami Dolphins' 38-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints:

Somber room: It was the first loss for Miami (3-1), so this was as quiet as the locker room has been all season. This game wasn’t a fluke. The Dolphins knew afterward they were beaten by a better team. Miami players and coaches admitted they were outplayed for four quarters.

Protection issues: Miami’s pass protection -- or lack thereof -- was a major topic during the postgame news conference and locker room interviews. Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill was sacked four times. He continues to take a beating and is the most sacked quarterback in the NFL after four weeks with 18. Tannehill needs to stay upright and healthy if the Dolphins want to have a successful season. “We have to be better,” Dolphins right tackle Tyson Clabo said. “Obviously, [Tannehill’s] health is of the utmost importance to us.”

Looking ahead: Several players in the locker room said they’re already looking ahead to the next game. Coming off a short week, the Dolphins will host the Baltimore Ravens (2-2) at Sun Life Stadium. Miami’s character will be tested after suffering a blowout loss. Can the Dolphins bounce back from defeat? “We can’t dwell on what happened,” Miami cornerback Brent Grimes said. “Nobody is happy with it, from the players, down to the coaches. You just have to move on to the next game.”

NEW ORLEANS -- A few thoughts on the Miami Dolphins' 38-17 blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints:

What it means: The Dolphins were handed their first loss of the season and fell to 3-1. Miami simply was not ready for the big stage of "Monday Night Football" and the rowdy crowd in the Superdome. Miami needed to play a near-perfect game to beat the undefeated Saints (4-0) and was not close to reaching that goal. However, the Dolphins were playing with house money after their perfect start. The biggest key for the Dolphins is getting over the embarrassment and disappointment and avoiding a losing streak.

Stock watch: The Dolphins did a couple of things well. The defensive line was strong against the run. Miami held the Saints to 69 rushing yards, and defensive tackle Jared Odrick played well. Miami’s running game also improved, although the team didn’t use it much in the second half after falling behind.

There is a lot more on the downside. This was, by far, Miami’s sloppiest performance of the season. The Dolphins’ attention to detail was not there. Miami had poor ball security and pass protection and too many blown coverages and missed assignments on defense. That usually leads to a blowout on the road, especially against a good team like New Orleans.

Tannehill’s troubles: Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill was stellar in his first three games but finally fell on hard times in front of a rowdy crowd in New Orleans. Tannehill had four turnovers. The first turnover was a careless fumble when he didn’t protect the ball while fighting for extra yards. The last three turnovers were interceptions thrown into coverage. Games like this provide a good lesson for a young quarterback.

What’s next: The big games do not stop for Miami. Coming off a short week of preparation, the Dolphins will host the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. Miami is 1-0 at home this year. The Dolphins had a brutal schedule to start the season but still have a chance to finish with a 4-1 record before the bye week.

NEW ORLEANS – The Miami Dolphins are trailing the New Orleans Saints, 21-10, at intermission.

Here are some notes at halftime:

• The Dolphins are playing hard in the first half. But they are not doing the little things, and the Saints are taking advantage. For example, Miami failed to convert on third-and-short and also gave up a third-and-20 to the Saints. The latter led to New Orleans continuing a drive that was capped by a 27-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jimmy Graham. Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll also was a step late on another touchdown throw to Darren Sproles before the half.
• Miami's offense is moving the ball well. But two big mistakes by starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill made the difference. Tannehill had a big fumble that killed a potential scoring drive and threw a pick in the second quarter. Miami had no trouble moving the ball and gained 224 total yards, but costly turnovers helped the Saints take the lead at halftime.
• Dolphins defensive tackle Jared Odrick also is having a stellar first half. Odrick recorded three tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss in the first two quarter. Both Odrick, Paul Soliai and Randy Starks have combined inside to hold New Orleans’ running game to just 10 total yards.
• The Dolphins have been a good second-half team all season. Miami has outscored opponents 41-16 in the third and fourth quarters during its 3-0 start. Let’s see what the Dolphins have in store for the second half against the Saints.

NEW ORLEANS – Here are the Miami Dolphins players you won’t see in Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

• QB Pat Devlin
• CB Dimitri Patterson
• G Danny Watkins
• G Dallas Thomas
• RB Mike Gillislee
• CB Will Davis
• DE Cameron Wake

The Dolphins activated starting defensive tackle Paul Soliai. He was listed as questionable during the week with a knee injury. Coaches took a close look at Wake during warm-ups and determined he wasn't ready to play.

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