Game story
In Week 4 of the 2017 NFL season on 2017-10-01, the New Orleans Saints took care of business against the Miami Dolphins, pulling away with a 20–0 final that controlled the game from start to finish.
The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 10 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) paced the passing game, with +15.19 total EPA, and +1.0% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +15.19 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-17.4% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when Miami Dolphins changed the game: (6:32) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 89-J.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 20-K.Crawley at NO -7. Touchback.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Miami Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 D. Brees · New Orleans Saints · Passing · +15.19 total EPA · 44 snaps · +0.35 EPA/play
- 2 M. Thomas · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +7.55 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.69 EPA/play
- 3 A. Kamara · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +6.08 total EPA · 10 snaps · +0.61 EPA/play
- 4 D. Parker · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +4.35 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.54 EPA/play
- 5 B. Coleman · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +2.35 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.35 EPA/play
- 6 T. Ginn · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +1.97 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.99 EPA/play
- 7 A. Kamara · New Orleans Saints · Rushing · +1.60 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.32 EPA/play
- 8 J. Landry · Miami Dolphins · Receiving · +0.88 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.13 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
D. Brees — NO · Passing
D. Brees posted the highest total EPA (+15.19) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on New Orleans Saints's efficiency. Across 44 counted snaps, they averaged +0.35 EPA per play.
The signature play (-6.24 EPA) came from Miami Dolphins: (6:32) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 89-J.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 20-K.Crawley at NO -7. Touchback.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- New Orleans Saints — M. Thomas (D. Brees pass)
- New Orleans Saints — A. Kamara (D. Brees pass)
Field goals
- New Orleans Saints — W. Lutz
- New Orleans Saints — W. Lutz
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The second quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 3–0. New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the MIA 25 (Q2 30:04) — (:04) (Field Goal formation) 3-W.Lutz 43 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead..
The third quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 7–0. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the MIA 3 (Q3 24:06) — (9:06) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 13-M.Thomas for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the MIA 15 (Q3 24:01) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead..
The fourth quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 10–0. New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the MIA 27 (Q4 12:37) — (12:37) (Field Goal formation) 3-W.Lutz 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the MIA 12 (Q4 4:02) — (4:02) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short middle to 41-A.Kamara for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the MIA 15 (Q4 3:57) — 3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Miami Dolphins (Q1 51:32) — (6:32) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 89-J.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 20-K.Crawley at NO -7. Touchback.
- New Orleans Saints (Q2 31:00) — (1:00) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short middle to 13-M.Thomas to MIA 36 for 14 yards (25-X.Howard).
- Miami Dolphins (Q1 52:20) — (7:20) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short middle to 89-J.Thomas to NO 4 for 23 yards (43-M.Williams).
- New Orleans Saints (Q3 29:18) — (14:18) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep left to 16-B.Coleman to MIA 40 for 31 yards (28-B.McCain).
- New Orleans Saints (Q2 44:19) — (14:19) (Field Goal formation) 3-W.Lutz 41 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Miami Dolphins (Q1 51:32) — (6:32) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 89-J.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 20-K.Crawley at NO -7. Touchback.
- New Orleans Saints (Q4 4:02) — (4:02) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short middle to 41-A.Kamara for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New Orleans Saints (Q2 44:19) — (14:19) (Field Goal formation) 3-W.Lutz 41 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
- Miami Dolphins (Q1 52:20) — (7:20) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short middle to 89-J.Thomas to NO 4 for 23 yards (43-M.Williams).
Quarterback report card
D.Brees led all passers in efficiency for New Orleans Saints, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- D.Brees (New Orleans Saints) · 44 dropbacks · 65.9% completion · +1.0% CPOE · +0.35 EPA/play · +15.19 total EPA
- J.Cutler (Miami Dolphins) · 35 dropbacks · 57.1% completion · +0.2% CPOE · -0.30 EPA/play · -10.36 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | New Orleans Saints | Miami Dolphins |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.081 | -0.248 |
| Offensive success rate | 45.5% | 37.5% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.345 | -0.296 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.181 | -0.272 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.248 | -0.081 |
| Defensive success rate | 62.5% | 54.5% |
By the numbers
Despite the final score, New Orleans Saints generated the better offensive EPA per play (+0.08 vs -0.25), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.
- Miami Dolphins: 9 drives, -15.84 total EPA, 0 scoring drives
- New Orleans Saints: 9 drives, +7.11 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- New Orleans Saints leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q2 30:04 · MIA 25 · Score 3-0
(:04) (Field Goal formation) 3-W.Lutz 43 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q3 24:06 · MIA 3 · Score 9-0
(9:06) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 13-M.Thomas for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q3 24:01 · MIA 15 · Score 10-0
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q4 12:37 · MIA 27 · Score 13-0
(12:37) (Field Goal formation) 3-W.Lutz 45 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q4 4:02 · MIA 12 · Score 19-0
(4:02) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short middle to 41-A.Kamara for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q4 3:57 · MIA 15 · Score 20-0
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-49-Z.Wood, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
Frequently asked questions
Who won New Orleans Saints vs Miami Dolphins?
The New Orleans Saints beat the Miami Dolphins 20-0 in Week 4, 2017 on 2017-10-01.
What was the final score of New Orleans Saints vs Miami Dolphins?
The final score was New Orleans Saints 20, Miami Dolphins 0 (NO 20-0 MIA) in Week 4, 2017 on 2017-10-01.
What was the score by quarter in New Orleans Saints vs Miami Dolphins?
Q2: New Orleans Saints 3, Miami Dolphins 0; Q3: New Orleans Saints 7, Miami Dolphins 0; Q4: New Orleans Saints 10, Miami Dolphins 0; Final: New Orleans Saints 20, Miami Dolphins 0.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in New Orleans Saints vs Miami Dolphins?
New Orleans Saints touchdown — M. Thomas (D. Brees pass) (Q3 24:06) New Orleans Saints touchdown — A. Kamara (D. Brees pass) (Q4 4:02) New Orleans Saints field goal — W. Lutz (Q2 30:04, 3 pts) New Orleans Saints field goal — W. Lutz (Q4 12:37, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in New Orleans Saints vs Miami Dolphins?
D. Brees (New Orleans Saints), 65.9% completion, +1.0% CPOE, +0.35 EPA per dropback, +15.19 total passing EPA. J. Cutler (Miami Dolphins), 57.1% completion, +0.2% CPOE, -0.30 EPA per dropback, -10.36 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in New Orleans Saints vs Miami Dolphins?
D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) led the game in total EPA with +15.19 on passing plays. across 44 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-6.24 EPA): (6:32) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 89-J.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 20-K.Crawley at NO -7. Touchback.. The biggest win-probability swing was -17.4%.
Season records after this game
New Orleans Saints
Entered 1-2 Now 2-2 W
Miami Dolphins
Entered 1-1 Now 1-2 L
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