A mostly dull game had a fantastic finish in Miami today, as the Saints stormed back from a big deficit but came up just short.
The Dolphins jumped out to a 16-0 lead at halftime and appeared to be ready to coast to an easy win, but the Saints turned it on in the second half, and when a late touchdown pass from Tyler Shough to Devaughn Vele narrowed the score to 19-17, all the Saints needed was a two-point conversion to force overtime.
Unfortunately for New Orleans, Shough’s two-point conversion attempt was intercepted and returned for a defensive two-point conversion, giving the Dolphins a 21-17 lead.
The Saints then onside kicked, recovered, and got close enough that a pass from Shough to Chris Olave could have been caught in the end zone for a game-winning touchdown. But Olave couldn’t reel it in, and when the Saints tried to quarterback sneak on a fourth-and-1 to extend their late drive, Shough was stuffed at the line of scrimmage.
Dolphins running back De’Von Achane had a big game, with 22 carries for 134 yards and a touchdown, but the Dolphins otherwise looked like they were sleepwalking through much of the game, and they nearly blew it.
Still, Miami managed to hold on, and after a 2-7 start to this season, the Dolphins are on a three-game winning streak and have a respectable 5-7 record. The Saints fall to 2-10.
