How Neutralizing De’Von Achane Gives the Saints Their Best Shot at an Upset

The New Orleans Saints enter the weekend at 2-9 and sit at the bottom of the NFC South. The Dolphins, now 4-7 after winning two straight, suddenly have momentum after spending most of the season stuck at two wins.

As strange as it sounds, this is still a game the Saints can win. They’ll need several things to break their way, but if we’re circling one single key that gives New Orleans the best chance to pull off an upset, it’s simple: they have to stop De’Von Achane.

Achane is one of the most explosive, elusive, game-breaking running backs in football. Every touch carries real danger. His yards-per-attempt sit near the top of the league, and while his touchdown numbers aren’t as high as last year’s breakout, he’s still at five on the season and very capable of finishing with a career year. He’s the type of player who can flip a game with one run, and Miami’s offense looks entirely different when he’s rolling.

And it isn’t just Achane. The Dolphins also have rookie Ollie Gordon, a sixth-round change-of-pace back who’s flashed real upside. When Miami’s run game is clicking, everything opens up. When it isn’t, the entire offense shifts onto Tua Tagovailoa’s shoulders, and that’s where the Dolphins become vulnerable.

Tagovailoa is more than capable of winning games with his arm. He has stretches where he looks like a top-tier quarterback. But he’s also one of the most inconsistent passers in the league. This season, he’s thrown 17 touchdowns with 13 interceptions, and his 68.3% completion rate is his lowest since 2022. His 88.1 passer rating is the lowest since his rookie year. Miami’s offense can explode for 30 points, as it did in a win over Buffalo a few weeks ago. But it can also completely fall apart, like the six-point outing against the Ravens the week before. That inconsistency defines both Tagovailoa and the Dolphins as a whole.

So the blueprint is straightforward. If the Saints commit to stopping Achane and clogging up Miami’s run game, they can force everything onto Tagovailoa's arm. Maybe he plays lights out. But the odds are higher that he doesn’t, especially with a depleted receiving corps and an offense that tends to sputter when it loses balance. The alternative is letting Achane and Gordon dictate the game, control the clock, gash the defense on the ground, and keep the Saints on their heels. That’s where things get ugly.

There are plenty of details the Saints will need to clean up, but none matter more than this. Stopping De’Von Achane is the one thing New Orleans must lock in on. Sell out to slow the run game, force Tua Tagovailoa to win it, and suddenly the path to an upset becomes a whole lot clearer.