The Green Bay Packers improved to 9-3 and won their seventh game in eight tries with a 30-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving Night from Lambeau Field.
The Packers led 14-0 in the first quarter, 24-3 at the half and 27-3 early in the second half. The Dolphins threatened a rally between the third and fourth quarters, but the Packers made a crucial fourth down stop to make sure there would be no holiday comeback from Miami.
Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:
What went right
— Special teams made an immediate impact. Keisean Nixon produced a 43-yard kickoff return to open the game, and Robert Rochell’s recovery of a muffed punt inside the 10-yard line set up the opening score. The special teams were solid all night — Brandon McManus made all six of his kicks, Daniel Whelan put three punts inside the 20 and Malik Washington made little impact as a returner for Miami.
— The Packers converted their first three red-zone trips into touchdowns. Jordan Love and Jayden Reed connected for touchdowns on two different third downs inside the 20, and Josh Jacobs powered home another 1-yard touchdown run. In the second half, a negative play and a penalty short-circuited two red-zone opportunities, but a one-handed catch from Reed and a terrific effort from Dontayvion Wicks nearly got the job done.
— Jacobs and Tucker Kraft led the way offensively, turning 29 touches into 195 yards. The Dolphins struggled to tackle both players all night. While limited on the ground, Jacobs created 74 yards as a receiver. Kraft was bulldozing through tackles on all six of his catches.
— The Packers had five sacks and nine total tackles for loss. While the Dolphins ended up piling up the yards in the second half, Jeff Hafley’s defense made enough disruptive plays to survive. Quay Walker’s sack on fourth down from the 1-yard line was a huge play.
— After starting 0-for-2, Love heated up and was almost automatic. At one point he hit 11 straight passes. He finished 21 of 28 passing, but there were at least three drops and one incompletion that should have been a penalty. Love was sharp — decisive and accurate.
— The Packers stuffed the Dolphins run game. Miami had runs of 12 and 13 yards but finished with only 39 total rushing yards on 14 carries.
— Jacobs, Reed, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks all had an explosive run of at least 10 yards. While Jacobs managed only 43 yards on 19 carries, the Packers still finished with 114 rushing yards.
— One week after dropping a deep ball, Christian Watson beat Storm Duck down the far sideline and hauled in a 46-yarder from Love, setting up a score. He also fought through a pass interference penalty and made a 21-yard catch on 1st-and-15 on a first half touchdown drive. He made a key block on Reed’s second touchdown and probably should have drawn another interference penalty on a late deep throw in the fourth quarter.
— Linebacker Isaiah McDuffie, who was questionable to play with an ankle injury, produced 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss, and a crunching pass break up.
— Wicks had a bad drop, but he rebounded, catching his next four passes for 30 yards. More importantly, he blocked effectively all night. With Romeo Doubs out, Wicks was a plus in a bigger role.
What went wrong
— The Packers had four offsides or encroachment penalties on defense (including one negating a sack) and two false starts on offense.
— Although the Dolphins scored only 17 points, it could have and probably should have been more. Tua Tagovailoa missed a few open throws in the first half, and when he started hitting the in-breakers off play-action in the second half, the Dolphins passing game started cooking. He finished with 37 completions for 365 yards.
— Josh Jacobs had an 11-yard run early but struggled to find room over 19 carries. He had to fight for many of his 43 yards. The Dolphins clearly made it a priority to limit the Packers on the ground.
— Dontayvion Wicks had a drop. So did Jayden Reed on a pass to the flat. Jordan Love overshot Reed on a likely touchdown on the first drive, and he was a little late throwing a deep ball to Christian Watson in the fourth quarter. The passing game was very good but still left some yards and big plays out there.
— Elgton Jenkins had an unnecessary roughness penalty in the red zone, negating an opportunity for the Packers to potentially go for it on fourth down from inside the 1-yard line.
What it means
The Packers won their second game in five days and set up a huge NFC North showdown with the Detroit Lions next Thursday night at Ford Field. For the second straight week, the Packers started fast and controlled the game from start to finish against a playoff qualifer from last year. At 9-3, the Packers are a virtual lock to make the postseason. Can they make a run at the NFC North title over the final five games? It has to start with a win over the Lions next week.
Highlights
What’s next
The biggest game of the season to date. The Packers will go to Ford Field to play the 11-1 Detroit Lions in primetime next Thursday night. If the Packers can get to 10-3, winning the NFC North would become a real possibility. If the Packers fall, it’s wildcard time — meaning a road game against a division winner to start the playoffs. Expect an electric, playoff-like atmosphere at Ford Field next Thursday night.
