New Orleans Saints place kicker Charlie Smyth (39) kicks a field goal during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Rebecca Blackwell
The Miami Dolphins defeated the New Orleans Saints 21-17 on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
The loss was the second consecutive for the Saints, who fell to 2-10 on the season.
Here’s what we learned from the game:
The Saints showed fight
The team easily could have quit after the Dolphins took a 16-0 halftime lead, but the Saints dominated the second half and put a huge scare into the home team.
After a leaky first half, the Saints held the Dolphins to just five points in the second half, allowing the team to fight into contention and come within a two-point conversion of tying the game in the final minutes.
Alas, the Saints’ faulty execution derailed the comeback. A false start penalty on Taliese Fuaga led to a disastrous pick two by Minkah Fitzpatrick on the ensuing conversion try, accounting for the final score.
The Saints had one last try after Vele recovered a beautifully executed onside kick by Charlie Smyth, but they failed to convert a fourth-and-1 at the Dolphins’ 36-yard line in the final minute, ending the comeback attempt.
Still, it was a valiant comeback effort, a good sign for a team that has little to play for other than pride.
The slow starts continued
The Saints once again found themselves playing catch-up. They failed to gain a first down and went scoreless in their three first-quarter possessions. Meanwhile, Miami marched for a touchdown on its opening series to take a quick 7-0 lead and added a field goal on the first play of the second quarter. From there, it was another uphill climb.
The Saints have now scored just one touchdown in 27 first-quarter drives this season. As a result, they have been outscored 92-19 in the opening period.
It was the ninth time in 12 games that the Saints failed to lead for a single minute.
Smyth and Vele were bright spots
If you were looking for a silver lining to the loss, look no farther than second-year players Charlie Smyth and Devaughn Vele.
Smyth, the kicker from Northern Ireland, was making his NFL debut after the Saints released Blake Grupe earlier in the week. He opened eyes in his official NFL debut by booming a 56-yard field goal in the first attempt of his career.
Smyth also performed a perfect onside kick in the final 2 minutes that Vele recovered to give the Saints a final shot to get the win.
Vele, meanwhile, had a breakout game with eight catches for 93 yards, including a spectacular 15-yard touchdown catch to pull the Saints within two points late.
After a quiet start to his Saints career, the towering 6-foot-4 wide receiver finally showed why team officials traded a fourth-round draft pick to acquire him during training camp. He made several acrobatic and contested catches in traffic, many on in-breaking routes over the middle.