Saints Fall Short in Wild Finish Against Dolphins in Week 13
The New Orleans Saints walked into South Florida hoping to shake off recent struggles and make a statement in Week 13. What they got instead was a rollercoaster of a game that saw flashes of promise, a few gut-wrenching mistakes, and a final drive that came up just short. The Miami Dolphins held on for a 21-17 win, but not without a late scare from a Saints team that finally found its rhythm-just a little too late.
First Quarter: A Rough Start Out of the Gate
The game couldn’t have started much worse for the Saints defense. Even after Cam Jordan made his presence felt with an early sack on Tua Tagovailoa, Miami quickly regrouped.
A crisp 13-yard strike to Darren Waller set the tone, and just a few plays later, De’Von Achane broke loose for a 29-yard touchdown run. Just like that, the Dolphins were up 7-0.
What followed was a stretch of offensive futility on both sides-five straight three-and-outs, with neither team able to find a rhythm. But Miami eventually broke the stalemate. Tagovailoa connected with Cedrick Wilson Jr. for 16 yards and then hit Waller again for 34, pushing the Dolphins deep into Saints territory as the quarter came to a close.
Second Quarter: Missed Opportunities and Turnovers
Miami opened the second frame knocking on the door, but the Saints defense held strong in the red zone. A couple of Tagovailoa incompletions forced a 39-yard field goal from Riley Patterson, extending the Dolphins’ lead to 10-0.
Then came a golden opportunity for New Orleans. Tyler Shough, making the start under center, fumbled after taking a sack, giving Miami a short field.
But on the very next play, Tagovailoa tried to go for the kill shot-only to have his end zone pass picked off by rookie Kool-Aid McKinstry. It was a momentum-swinging play the Saints desperately needed.
Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t capitalize. Another three-and-out gave the ball right back to Miami, who leaned heavily on the ground game. Ten plays and 44 yards later, Patterson drilled another field goal, this time from 25 yards out, pushing the lead to 13-0.
Shough tried to respond, driving the Saints into Dolphins territory. But a short throw intended for Chris Olave was snatched by Rasul Douglas, who read the play perfectly. Miami turned that mistake into three more points just before halftime, heading into the locker room with a 16-0 lead.
Third Quarter: Signs of Life from Shough and the Saints
Whatever was said in the Saints’ locker room at halftime seemed to work. Shough came out looking far more comfortable, connecting with Devaughn Vele twice for 14-yard gains. The drive ended with a beautifully placed 17-yard touchdown pass to Olave, who made a tough grab in the end zone.
Shough kept the momentum going with a successful two-point conversion run, suddenly cutting the deficit in half at 16-8.
The rest of the quarter was a defensive grind. Both teams exchanged punts, and while Shough continued to find a bit of rhythm, the Saints couldn’t punch through again before the fourth.
Fourth Quarter: Drama Until the Final Snap
Miami finally got back on the board after another Saints punt. A 22-yard pass to Jaylen Waddle and a few more solid runs from Achane set up a field goal, but a third-down sack by Chase Young kept the Dolphins out of the end zone. Patterson’s kick made it 19-8.
New Orleans answered with a field goal of their own, and it was a memorable one. Rookie kicker Charlie Smyth stepped up for his first career attempt-and drilled a 56-yarder with room to spare. That narrowed the gap to 19-11 and gave the Saints a shot.
Then came the turning point. The Saints defense came up huge, stuffing Miami on 4th-and-1 and handing the ball back to Shough and the offense with a chance to tie.
Shough didn’t flinch. He spread the ball around, hitting Vele, Olave, and Devin Neal as the Saints marched into the red zone. Then, with the game hanging in the balance, Shough found Vele again-this time in the end zone-for a 15-yard touchdown.
Down 19-17, the Saints needed a two-point conversion to tie. But a false start pushed the attempt back to the 7-yard line.
Shough forced a throw, and Minkah Fitzpatrick made him pay. The veteran safety picked it off and took it all the way back for two points the other way, flipping the score to 21-17.
Still, the Saints weren’t done. Smyth’s onside kick was perfectly placed and recovered by Vele, giving New Orleans one last shot to steal the win.
But on 4th-and-1, with everything on the line, Shough tried to keep it himself-and came up short. Ballgame.
Takeaways: Growing Pains, but Signs of Promise
This game was a mixed bag for the Saints. The first half was marred by stalled drives, missed chances, and turnovers.
But the second half? That was different.
Shough showed poise, Vele stepped up in a big way, and the defense made timely stops when it mattered most.
The loss stings, no doubt. But there were encouraging signs-especially from the young core.
If they can clean up the mistakes and build on this second-half performance, there’s still time to turn things around. For now, though, they leave Miami with a tough lesson in just how thin the margin for error is in this league.