Dolphins/Packers Thanksgiving Recap

    Written by: William Petersen •

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    Picture via NFL X

    The third and final Thanksgiving Day game found the team from South Beach making its way up north for a date with the red-hot Green Bay Packers welcomed the Miami Dolphins in Lambeau Field. The weather called for snow and the temperature was below freezing as Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa looked to change the narrative around his inability to win games in the cold. Tua’s record in games where the temperature is below 50 degrees was 0-6 entering the primetime Thanksgiving Day game. The game got off to a quick start as the Packers obtained excellent field position following a muffed punt that curated Green Bay getting in the endzone to open up the game 7-0 early. From then on the Packers scored three touchdowns in five drives and dominated the tempo and momentum from then on. You could tell the Dolphins were not accustomed to playing in below freezing weather as their offense continued to punt, only scoring three points in the first half while Green Bay notched 24. The Packers offense coasted its way to a 30-17 victory after the Dolphins’ offense found some life in the second half but replicated the previous two Thanksgiving Day games where it was just too little, too late for the visiting teams.

    Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was adamant about changing the narrative around his and the Dolphins inability to play in cold weather games. Coming into the game, Tua was 0-6 in games where the temperature was under 50 degrees, he is now 0-7 after the Dolphins failed to change this narrative. Tua played well, only missing nine throws (37/46) for 365 yards and two touchdowns but their lack of offense in the first half is what decided this game early for the Dolphins. Star wideout Tyreek Hill made his mark in garbage time, catching a tipped pass in the redzone to cut the lead to 13 but like I said with the other two Turkey Day games, the road teams did too little too late to win these games. The Dolphins now move to 5-7 and only make the playoff chances even harder to obtain even though the AFC East is one of the worst divisions in the league. It will be interesting to see moving forward what Miami does in the offseason as they signed Tua and Jaylen Waddle to big extensions that will follow the massive extension that Hill signed to keep the speedster in Miami at least until 2026. Injuries have played a major role in the success of the Dolphins this season and fans can only wonder what their record would look like if Tua did not get another significant head injury earlier this season.

    The Frozen Tundra was too much for a South Beach football club that continued to play into the narrative that they were so desperately trying to change. The Green Bay Packers did not have to change the narrative surrounding them, a redhot football team, after the cheese boys dominated the final Thanksgiving Day game from the opening kickoff. Jordan Love continues to look like the heir apparent to both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers after the steady season he has produced since hurting his knee in Brazil in Week 1 vs the Philadelphia Eagles. Love finished 21/28 for 274 and two touchdown passes to Jayden Reed, who seemed to be everywhere on Thursday night. Josh Jacobs added 19 rushes for 43 yards but made the most impact through the air, hauling in four receptions for 74 yards and one of the meanest jukes anyone has witnessed this season. The Packers are now 5-2 at Lambeau this season and 9-3 overall in a team that could be poised to give the 11-1 Detroit Lions a run for their money in the NFC North. For now Love and the Packers will look to keep this explosive offense humming and should find themselves as a top three seed in the NFC come playoff time if they continue to play this brand of football.

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