Dolphins’ Week 13 matchup with the Saints delivers a juicy subplot that could give Miami something extra to be thankful for this holiday season
The Miami Dolphins and their defensive coordinator are hoping for a little something extra to be thankful for while facing their Week 13 opponent.
The business of the NFL provides endless twists and turns, both for the fans and the people who suit up or coach every Sunday. There are hirings, firings, and staffing changes each and every year. For the Miami Dolphins, the stability of the team’s coaching staff has been an elusive idea more than an actual reality in recent years — although 2025 was a year in the team was finally able to achieve that feat.
The Dolphins retained their head coach and both primary coordinators from 2024 to 2025. But that almost didn’t happen thanks to Miami’s Week 13 opponent, the New Orleans Saints. Now, that development is back in the spot light for Miami. Welcome to the Anthony Weaver revenge game.
Anthony Weaver can prove the Saints wrong with looming Week 13 matchup with New Orleans
Revenge games are usually reserved for a player/team reunion after a split. Anthony Weaver has never been a member of the Saints organization, although that nearly wasn’t the case this past winter. Weaver was one of the finalists for New Orleans’ head coaching vacancy, a job that ultimately went to former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Weaver reminded the world of his candidacy in New Orleans on Monday while talking to the media — he was asked about Saints star receiver Chris Olave when it came up.
“Oh man, he is a stud. He can do everything. He can run every route, he can play the slot, he can play outside, he can get in and out of his breaks,” said Weaver. “I did a lot of study on him obviously in the offseason, just going through that interview process (for the Saints job), but he is absolutely their go to guy as a receiver.”
Reported 2025 New Orleans Saints head coach interviews
last offseason
- Philadelphia Eagles OC Kellen Moore (hired)
- Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady
- Miami Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver
- New York Giants OC Mike Kafka
- New Orleans Saints interim HC Darren Rizzi
Weaver, as you’d expect, would never directly make the opportunity to play an opponent about him. He’s a humble, soft-spoken coach who prides himself on the service he provides to his players. But surely it’s come up this week, especially given how matter of factly Weaver spoke about the prep he put into his interview opportunity this winter.
With the competitive nature of everyone in the NFL, it’s hard to imagine that a strong defensive showing against the Saints, paired with a win, wouldn’t be extra sweet for Weaver after he was passed up for the head coaching position in New Orleans. Weaver’s going to get his crack at a revenge game while putting that extra film study into New Orleans’ personnel to good use. And while Miami’s defense was off to a rough start in the first month of the season, his group is playing the kind of ball as of late that will have Dolphins fans extra glad he’s still on the sideline instead of the man in charge of the Saints.
It’s up to his defensive players to bring an extra sweet victory for Weaver to life on Sunday against the Saints. If they play to the recent standard of defense’s play once again on Sunday, it will give us all a little something extra to be thankful on the heels of Thanksgiving this Thursday. That, of course, being that the Saints didn’t pick Weaver to be their head coach in January.
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