The Dolphins (5-7) are behind New England and Buffalo for first place in the AFC East but have kept their slim playoff hopes alive, while the Saints (2-10) have lost six of seven.
The Saints trailed 16–0 at halftime, but closed to 19–17 on Tyler Shaw’s 15-yard touchdown pass to DaVaughn Vale with 1:17 remaining.
Shaw was intercepted by Minkah Fitzpatrick on a 2-point attempt, and the Dolphins safety returned it to the opposite end zone to give Miami two points.
The rookie QB got another shot when the Saints recovered the ensuing onside kick by former Northern Ireland Gaelic football player Charlie Smith, making his NFL regular season debut. But Miami’s defense stopped Shaw on fourth-and-1 at the Dolphins 36 to end the game.
Smith kicked a 56-yard field goal to make the score 19–11 with 6:08 remaining, before Shaw nearly completed the comeback. Despite a poor performance in the first half, which included an interception and a strip sack, Shaw finished with 239 yards and two touchdowns.
Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was not particularly sharp, completing 12 of 23 passes for 157 yards with an interception. He leads the NFL with 14 picks, which also matches his career high since 2023.
The Dolphins recorded 164 yards rushing behind Achane, who finished with 22 carries and topped 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his three-year career. Achane scored his 10th touchdown of the season on a 29-yard run on Miami’s opening drive.
The Saints, who entered the game tied for the second-worst scoring offense in the NFL, did not get anything going offensively until the opening drive of the second half, when Shaw capped a 10-play, 70-yard drive – more than the Saints’ 63 first-half yards – with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave. Shaw then converted a 2-point attempt to make the score 16-8.
The Dolphins did not respond until early in the fourth, when Tagovailoa, after nearly throwing a second interception, found Jaylen Waddle for a 22-yard pickup, which set up Riley Patterson’s 33-yard kick – his fourth of the day.
Saints: S Justin Reed left in the first half with a knee injury.
Dolphins: FB Alec Ingold left with a stinger in the second quarter.
Saints: At Tampa Bay next Sunday.
Dolphins: At New York Jets next Sunday.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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