The Green Bay Packers scored 16 straight points after falling behind 20-10 to stun the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Day and keep hopes alive for a run to the playoffs over the final two weeks of the 2022 season.
Buy Packers TicketsMatt LaFleur’s team upset the Dolphins 26-20 and has now won three straight games.
The Packers intercepted Tua Tagovailoa three times, including Rasul Douglas’ win-stealing pick with just under two minutes to go.
The game-changing play for the Packers came right before halftime: The Dolphins led by 10 points and were driving for more, but Jarran Reed created and recovered a fumble, starting a stretch of four takeaways for the Packers defense that allowed Matt LaFleur’s team to kick three field goals and score a touchdown and engineer the comeback.
The upset victory improved the Packers’ record to 7-8 and moves Green Bay to within a half game of the final wildcard spot in the NFC.
The Packers will finish the season with home games against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, two NFC North rivals that beat Green Bay earlier in the season. In addition to two more wins, the Packers need at least one more loss by the Commanders or two by the Giants.
The Dolphins averaged 8.4 yards per play and got 100-yard receiving days from both Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, but turnovers provided the great equalizer. The Packers didn’t allow a single point in the second half.
Aaron Rodgers completed 24 of 38 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown, A.J. Dillon scored a touchdown in his fourth straight game and four different players caught a pass of at least 20 yards.
On defense, Reed and Preston Smith both had sacks, and Douglas, Jaire Alexander and De’Vondre Campbell created interceptions.
Keisean Nixon produced a 93-yard kickoff return before exiting the game with a groin injury. He wasn’t the only important player to exit: Christian Watson has a hip injury that kept him out of the second half, and right tackle Yosh Nijman left in the first half with a shoulder injury and didn’t return.
