The Green Bay Packers beat the Miami Dolphins in a Thanksgiving edition of Sunday Night Football as they look to solidify their chances at a playoff berth.
Tua Tagovailoa had spoken about how the Miami Dolphins had an opportunity this week to change the narrative suggesting they couldn’t play well in freezing temperatures.
But the Dolphins ultimately came up short in the cold once again, as their three-game winning streak ended with a 30-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night amid light flurries.
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The Dolphins (5-7) have lost their last 12 regular-season or postseason games in which the temperature at kickoff was 40 degrees (4.4 Celsius) or lower. The reading at Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving was 27 degrees (-2.7 Celsius), with 10 mph winds and a wind chill of 18.
“We're definitely not going to use that as an excuse,” defensive lineman Calais Campbell said. “I know obviously, with the narratives from years past or whatever, I get it. But today wasn't that bad.”
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Packers safety Xavier McKinney said he believed the weather made a difference.
“Obviously, they’re coming from Miami, it’s hot there, and then when you come here and play in that cold weather, you get affected by it,” McKinney said. “So I think it affected everybody on that team.”
Miami’s most recent victory in a game that began with a temperature of 40 degrees or below was a 34-31 overtime triumph at Buffalo on Dec. 24, 2016.
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The temperature Thursday was a far cry from what the Dolphins encountered in the wild-card round of the playoffs last year. Miami's 2023 season ended with a 26-7 loss at Kansas City, where it was minus-4 degrees (-20 Celsius) at kickoff with a wind chill of minus-27.
While the weather didn’t seem to have a direct impact on the Dolphins’ play this time, they weren’t nearly as sharp as they’d been throughout a winning streak that had rejuvenated their playoff hopes.
Tagovailoa was 37-of-46 passing for 365 yards and two touchdowns, but he was sacked five times and didn’t get much help. Miami had to play catch-up after the Packers took a 27-3 lead in the third quarter.
“I would say, from my standpoint and our team’s standpoint, we’re not going to use any of that as an excuse for why we didn’t get the start that we wanted,” Tagovailoa said.
A muffed punt by Malik Washington gave the Packers first-and-goal to set up Green Bay’s first touchdown. The Dolphins committed 10 penalties, including six in the first half.
“We weren’t failing to snap the ball before a delay of game or false-starting because of the cold,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “I think the tape will show that, when we watch the tape. But like anything else, eventually you have to overcome it if you’re trying to do anything in this league.”
The Dolphins settled for a field goal on a goal-to-go situation in the first half and failed to score at all after having second-and-goal at the 1 in the fourth quarter.
A defense that already was playing without linebacker Anthony Walker and cornerback Kendall Fuller lost nickel Kader Kohou and cornerback Cam Smith to injuries.
Perhaps it was fitting that in the cold weather, the Dolphins apparently took 2 1/2 quarters to get warmed up.
“When we're playing our best ball, we can beat anybody,” Campbell said. “But today was definitely not our best ball.”
Miami has enough firepower to rally from just about any deficit, and the Dolphins threatened to make this one interesting.
The Dolphins scored a touchdown, forced a punt with a third-and-1 stop of Josh Jacobs and then drove down the field again and had second-and-goal on the 1 early in the fourth quarter.
That last yard proved elusive.
De’Von Achane got stopped on second down. Tagovailoa couldn’t connect with Jonnu Smith on third down and then got sacked on fourth down.
The Packers put away the game from there. And the Dolphins were left out in the cold again, severely damaging their chances of earning a third straight playoff berth.
“As far as season hopes, I would say this one was a tough one for us as a team,” Tagovailoa said. “I know what this game meant to a lot of guys in that locker room. I wouldn't say the dream's dead for our team just yet. Anything can happen in this league.”
The Dolphins have essentially no margin for error, which means they probably must figure out how to win in cold weather to have any shot at getting back to the playoffs. Miami closes the regular season with consecutive road games against the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets.
“I think our guys will look forward to executing in the cold weather the next opportunity, because I think they know they can,” McDaniel said. “So they need to, and they want to.”
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