MIAMI GARDENS — It started slow, and looked like a sure Miami Dolphins win, but those final 77 seconds put some drama in the day.
Here are 10 thoughts on the day:
1. Let’s go over the key plays of those final 77 seconds:
*First, after New Orleans cut the Dolphins lead to 19-17 with 1:17 left — and after a illegal procedure penalty because they’re the 2-10 Saints — rookie quarterback Tyler Shough’s 2-point conversion pass was intercepted by Minkah Fitzpatrick and returned 99 yards for two points for the Dolphins. That was Fitzpatrick’s second big play in the game following a strip-sack. But …
*New Orleans’ onside kick hit a Dolphin and the Saints Devaughn Vele recovered it at the Saints’ 45-yard line. So they had the ball with 1:15 left, moved to the Dolphins 36-yard line and ….
*On fourth-and-1 with 34 seconds left, Shough tried a sneak in New Orleans’ version of the Tush Push. The Dolphins interior defense held starting with Chop Robinson and Tyrel Dodson. The Dolphins got the ball on downs and the game was over.
2. That final sequence actually began with a familiar play. On fourth-and-1 at the Saints 43 with three minutes to play, Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon was tackled for a 1-yard loss. New Orleans got the ball at the 44 down 19-11.That was similar to the previous game against Washington when Mike McDaniel went for it on fourth down and Gordon was similarly stopped, except that one was at the goal line with under two minutes to play. This one gave the Saints good field position and they drove for the touchdown that made it 19-17 before the dramatic ending.
3. Here’s the weekly and mandatory De’Von Achane paragraph detailing his good game. He carried 22 times for 134 yards and a touchdown. He also went over two milestones Sunday: 1) He reached 1,000 yards for the season to become the 12th Dolphin running back to do so and third in the past decade (Jay Ajayi in 2016, Raheem Mostert in 2023); 2) He went over 1,300 yards from scrimmage to become the third Dolphins to do that in back-to-back seasons (Tyreek Hill in 2022, 2023, and Ricky Williams in 2002, 2003).
4. The Dolphins won the turnover battle again Sunday. Maybe it’s a simple as that when watching this team. In their three wins in the past four games, they’ve won the turnover margin each game. They’re a combined plus-5 in those three wins. In the lone loss, they lost the turnover battle to Baltimore, 3-2. In Sunday’s game, Minkah Fitzpatrick blindsided and strip-sacked Shough. Zach Sieler recovered the fumble. Veteran cornerback Rasul Butler then baited Shough into a throw that he intercepted. That said …
5. … Tua Tagovailoa threw his league-high 14th interception on the ensuing play after Fitzpatrick’s strip-sack. It was especially troubling because it’s the kind of floating, deep pass he has made a habit of lately. From the Saints 37, he threw into the end zone for Waddle. The ball lacked any zip, though, and Saints safety Kool-Aid McKinstry not only came over but waited for the ball to come down to him. Tua never had a strong arm. But this pass showed just where he’s at with arm strength. Tua completed 12 of 23 passes for 157 yards and the interception.
6. Player of the Game: Riley Patterson. In a game of little offense, Patterson made sure the Dolphins kept scoring with field goals of 39, 25, 48 and 33 yards. That makes him 21 of 23 on a season where no one was quite sure who he was in replacing the injured Jason Sanders at the start of the season. The Dolphins were his seventh team since 2021. While he hasn’t shown he has a strong leg (0-for-1 over 50 yards), his accuracy has been noteworthy.
7. The Dolphins defense looked like it would smother the lowest scoring offense in the league. New Orleans didn’t have a first down and had 21 total yards in the first quarter. It didn’t quite end that way as New Orleans ended with 20 first downs to the Dolphins’ 16. But you want to see players progress, and the three rookie defensive tackles are getting plenty of playing time to do so. Zeke Biggers, the seventh-round pick who was inactive until recent weeks, had a half-sack. Jordan Phillips, the fifth-round pick, was involved in four tackles to get him 25 for the season. Kenneth Grant, the first-round pick, was involved in one tackle. Phillips has had the most impact of these rookies. Biggers has shown promise.
8. Don’t ask what the Dolphins were doing just before halftime with game management. After Rasul Douglas returned an interception to the Saints’ 42-yard line with 1:08 left, Achane gained 8 yards and the Dolphins took a timeout with 1:01 left. That was their last timeout. Achane was hit for a 2-yard loss, and the Dolphins didn’t run another play until 29 seconds left. That was a 6-yard pass to Malik Washington. They then ran the clock down until Tua spiked it with 2 seconds left in the half. It was like McDaniel decided they were going to kick a field goal no matter what that possession. Riley Patterson made a 48-yard field goal to end the half, and the Dolphins led 16-0.
9. Quick Hits:
*Right tackle Austin Jackson played his first game since the opener.
*Alec Ingold left the game with a stinger in the first half.
*Saints edge rusher Cam Jordan had two sacks in the first quarter when cleaning up plays rather than cleanly beating a block. He had four-and-a-half on the season entering Sunday.
10. Dolphins at New York Jets. The tour of troubled teams continues. Washington. New Orleans. Now come the Jets, who won their third game Sunday against Atlanta. Tyrod Taylor is the quarterback now, not Justin Fields, who started when the Dolphins beat the Jets 27-21 in Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 29. The Jets were the 26th-ranked defense before trading off defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner for draft picks. They’re 28th now.
Dolphins Deep Dive: ‘Not pretty at all’ . . . breaking down Miami’s ugly win over Saints | VIDEO
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) lines up a play pre-snap against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) celebrates a sack against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) leaves the field after the win over the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and GM Champ Kelly celebrate the win over the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (9) and Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) celebrate Fitzpatrick’s interception at the end of the game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel congratulates Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) after his interception of a two-point conversion attempt by the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel runs off the field after the win over the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, left, and CEO Tom Garfinkel celebrate a interception in the closing minute against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) runs back an interception on a New Orleans Saints two-point conversion attempt at the end of the game Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel takes the field for the game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) runs in a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller indicates a first down against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas (26) intercepts a pass against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zeek Biggers (93) celebrates a sack of New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller catches a pass for a first down against New Orleans Saints safety Jonas Sanker on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins defense celebrates a fumble recovery by defensive tackle Zach Sieler (92) Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) runs in a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas (26) celebrates a second quarter interception against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) is seen before the game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) warms up before the game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel meets with officials before the game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II (31) signs for fans before the game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) warms up before the game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins fans in rain gear ask for autographs before the game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller stretches in the rain before the game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler (92) works out in the rain before the game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) lines up a play pre-snap against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)