The Green Bay Packers took control early, minimized the damage of a mini-run in the second half and made a few big plays late to earn a mostly comfortable 30-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving Night at Lambeau Field.
The Packers led by at least two points in the final three quarters and held a three-point lead for much of the game. The Dolphins piled up their passing yards in the second half, but the production was mostly hollow, especially when the Packers made a big four-down stop in the red zone in the fourth quarter.
Matt LaFleur's team is now 9-3 heading into next week's mammoth trip to Detroit to play the Lions in prime time.
Here's the good, the bad and the ugly about the Packers' win over the Dolphins:
The good
Jacobs, Reed and Kraft: Playing in the cold against one of the NFL's worst tackling teams, the Packers had to find ways to get the ball to their best tackle breakers. Mission accomplished. Josh Jacobs, Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft converted 29 touches for a total of 242 yards and three scores. Jacobs had 74 receiving yards and 117 total yards, Reed caught two touchdown passes and had a 23-yard run and Kraft caught six passes for 74 yards. The Dolphins had trouble defeating the trio all night.
Quay and McDuffie demonstrate: Linebackers Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie combined for 20 tackles and three tackles for a loss. Walker had a game-changing play with a fourth-down sack, while McDuffie battled through an ankle injury, recording a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. They played fast and physical and were a big reason the Dolphins averaged just 2.8 yards per rush.
Special teams: Keisean Nixon opened the contest with a 43-yard kickoff return, but the game turned early when Robert Rochell recovered a botched punt, Brandon McManus made all three field goals and all three extra points, and Daniel Whelan returned three of four punts 20. Dolphins returner Malik Washington played no role. Another good night for Rich Bisaccia's unit.
The evil
Procedural penalties: Incredibly, the Packers were cited four times for being offside or lining up in the neutral zone, once for a sack and once for a field goal attempt. This has become a recurring problem in recent weeks. The Packers finished the game with seven penalties, including six procedural or pre-snap penalties. Elgton Jenkins' unnecessary roughness penalty fell in the red zone in the fourth quarter.
The ugly
Midfield coverage in the second half: Tua Tagovailoa missed a few throws to the middle of the field in the first half, but the Dolphins stuck to their bread and butter and finally got rolling offensively in the second half. Tagovailoa began throwing with anticipation and precision on offensive routes, often out of play, and the Dolphins were just a yard away from potentially making it a one-scoring game in the fourth quarter. The stats don't tell the whole story, but Tagovailoa completed 37 passes for 365 yards – by far the highest total the Packers have allowed this season.
