Saints’ late surge vs. Dolphins by the numbers

By Ross Jackson

It was a true tale of two halves situation for the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The team’s 21-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins began as a 16-0 deficit before the now 2-10 Saints almost closed the gap. However, an ill-timed first start and dropped missed connection between rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and wide receiver Chris Olave kept the Saints out of reach. 

From field goal debuts and onside kicks to pass rush and leaky run defense, the numbers behind the Saints’ latest loss paint a conflicting picture of inefficacy and competitiveness. 

3 – Three-and-out drives have become a staple for the Saints’ offense in the first half. 

• 50% of the team’s first quarter drives have been three-and-out, most in the NFL this season. 
• 39.7% of their first half drives have yielded the same result, No. 26 in the league. 
• However, the team has the fifth-lowest three-and-out rate (21.4%) in the second half. 

19 – The Saints have scored only 19 first-quarter points, which is the least in the NFL. Meanwhile, the defense’s 19.27 total defensive EPA ranks No. 11 in the league. 

25 – New Orleans’s offense has scored points on just 25% of its opening drives this season, tied for the second-lowest rate in the league. 

49 – Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s 49.75 total defensive EPA in the fourth quarter is the best in the NFL. However, his group’s minus-27.93 first quarter EPA is No. 31, only better than the Dallas Cowboys. 

56 – Kicker Charlie Smyth’s 56-yard field goal was the third longest debut kick in NFL history, per Next Gen Stats. Only two kickers, former Atlanta Falcon Michael Koenen (2005) and former Cleveland Browns rookie Steve Cox (1981) made their first kicks from a longer distance: 58 yards. 

Irishman Charlie Smyth’s first career FG goes for 56 yds! 🇮🇪

📺: FOX | @NFLUKIRE pic.twitter.com/qmti6LNoIJ

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 30, 2025

63 – The New Orleans offense gained just 63 total net yards of offense in the first half. The team had 65 on its opening second half touchdown drive alone. 

68.1% – Shough’s 68.1% completion percentage as a starter leads all rookie quarterbacks in 2025. 

82 – The Saints’ best scoring quarter is the second, where they have scored 82 points through the first 13 weeks. The total ties them at No. 15 with the Buffalo Bills. The team has the third-fewest third quarter points and are tied for the fewest in the fourth. 

100 – Head Coach Kellen Moore will have to prove it wasn’t a fluke, but the Saints were 100% (2/2) in converting red zone possessions into touchdowns. Going into the game, New Orleans fielded one of the worst red zone teams in the last decade, converting just 34.5% of their opportunities into touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Dolphins had a top-five red zone defense. 

2013 –  Smyth’s successful onside kick was the first recovered by the Saints since 2013. The league has converted just 7.75% of onside kick attempts since 2018, when time changes severely dropped the rate of conversion. 

2020 – On Sunday, the wide receiver Devaughn Vele reeled in each of his eight targets for 93 receiving yards and a touchdown catch. He was the first Saints wideout to catch 100% of seven or more targets in a game since Michael Thomas in 2020.