Dolphins Earn Narrow Victory over Saints

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MIAMI, FL – The New Orleans Saints’ comeback attempt fell just short Sunday afternoon. The Dolphins entered halftime with a 16-0 lead. In the 2nd half, their offense stalled out multiple times, and the Saints started putting points on the board, trailing just 19-17 late in the 4th quarter.

However, Minkah Fitzpatrick saved the day on a big defensive play for the Dolphins. The Miami Dolphins came out alive with the narrow 21-17 victory over the Saints.

1st Half Could’ve Been More Eventful

The Dolphins scored a touchdown and three field goals in the first two quarters, but they should’ve done more against New Orleans.

The first drive was excellent. Six plays, 69 yards in 3:41. It was capped off by a 29-yard touchdown run from De’Von Achane.

Makin' it look easyyyy 😌

RT to send @ffvmousvon_ to the Pro Bowl! #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/iSy1mq3Y46

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 30, 2025

Then, the next two drives were uneventful, totaling -6 yards of offense.

Miami then showed some effort late in the 1st quarter. Tua Tagovailoa started it off with two key passes, including a 34-yarder to Darren Waller. But once the 2nd quarter came around, the Dolphins failed to get anything going inside the Saints’ 25-yard line. They had to settle for the three points.

Next drive, Tua Tagovailoa threw his league-leading 14th interception. After that, the Dolphins were poised to score. Achane was having successful carries, but once the Fins reached the Saints’ 10-yard line, they stalled again and settled for a field goal.

After Tyler Sough’s interception, the Dolphins’ offense was given a great opportunity to score. Starting at their opponents’ 42-yard line, they settled for three points again due to time.

Luckily, the defense shut down the Saints to just 63 yards in the first half.

Defense Saves the Dolphins in the 2nd Half

As soon as the 3rd quarter began, the Saints became fierce with the ball. The opening drive featured a lot of short, successful runs with some productive plays in the air by Sough. He led the Saints to a touchdown and then the two-point conversion on a rush.

On the next two drives, the Dolphins prevented the Saints from even getting into their own territory.

"Thanks I'll take that!" 😄

RT to #ProBowlVote @RasulEra pic.twitter.com/utaNHeFpt5

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 30, 2025

Then, the Dolphins were stopped the Saints on a big 3rd-down play and were left with Charlie Smyth nailing a 56-yard kick on his NFL debut.

After the ball was turned over on downs, the Dolphins had to make a crucial stop in the 4th quarter with three minutes to play. Tyler Sough had other plans, though. Despite some incompletions and a penalty, he got the job done all on pass plays.

Down by just two points, the Saints were poised to tie the game at 21 with a two-point conversion. That is, until he passed the ball intended for Devaughn Vele, and it ended up in the hands of Minkah Fitzpatrick, who took it to the house. The Dolphins ended up getting two points instead.

Minkah Fitzpatrick took it to the 🏠 for 2️⃣

RT to #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/IAcv2PwWCD

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 30, 2025

The job wasn’t finished yet, though. Miami failed to recover the onside kick, and the Saints still had hope.

New Orleans, though, failed to get anything going after two pass completions, and the Dolphins’ defense made a final stop.

Thoughts

The Dolphins are 5-7 in third place in the AFC East while staying competitive in the hunt for the Wild Card race. Interestingly, they are 5-0 this season when De’Von Achane has at least 20 touches in a game. He didn’t disappoint today, carrying the ball 22 times for 134 yards and the only Fins touchdown. Achane also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career.

The @MiamiDolphins are 5-0 when De'Von Achane has more than 20 touches in a game ✅#PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/FYNRhPlFXQ

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) November 30, 2025

Several Dolphins players stood out on defense today. Jordyn Brooks led the game with 12 tackles (one for a loss),  while Fitzpatrick had seven tackles (one for a loss) and a big quarterback hit, and Chop Robinson contributed with five tackles (one for a loss), along with 1.5 sacks, and three quarterback hits. Brooks leads the NFL in tackles.

Chop chased 'em down 😤#ProBowlVote @chopyoungbull pic.twitter.com/cOjX2HIBVk

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 30, 2025

It’s impressive to see the turnaround for this defense. At the beginning of the season, it was a weak point and at times, an embarrassment for them. Now, it’s become apparent that they’ve been excelling at defense over the past month.

Tua Tagovailoa had himself an uneventful game. The offense was flat for most of the game, and it was another game that they won in spite of his play. He finished with just 12 completions on 23 attempts, 157 yards, and an interception.

We need to be honest with ourselves. The 2025 Dolphins are a better team when the ball isn’t in Tagovailoa’s hands as often as they may want it to be.

The special team’s unit doesn’t get enough credit, but they played their part today. Riley Patterson was a perfect 4-for-4 on his kicks, while Jake Bailey had four punts for 201 yards.

Moving into December, the Dolphins need to rely on their running, defense, and special teams one game at a time.

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