GREEN BAY – The Packers won their third straight game and improved to 9-3 with a 30-17 victory over the Dolphins on Thanksgiving night at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay took control early, turning a muffed punt into a touchdown and eventually built a 24-3 lead at halftime. The advantage moved to 27-3 before Miami began to rally.
The Dolphins cut it to 27-11 and drove all the way to the Packers' 1-yard line. But beginning with second-and-goal from the 1, Green Bay made a goal-line stand with a run stuff, batted pass and sack for a huge turn of events.
The Packers' offense responded with a long drive for a field goal to make it a three-possession game again at 30-11, icing the win with five minutes left. Miami's three-game winning streak was snapped and the Dolphins fell to 5-7.
The Packers had four different ball carriers rush for at least 20 yards, led by RB Josh Jacobs with 43 yards and a TD on 19 attempts. RB Chris Brooks added 28 yards on three attempts, RB Emanuel Wilson had 20 on two, and WR Jayden Reed ran once for 23 yards.
QB Jordan Love was 21-of-28 for 274 yards with two TDs, both to WR Jayden Reed, for a 129.2 passer rating. TE Tucker Kraft had six catches for 78 yards and Jacobs added four grabs for 74 yards, including a career-long 49-yarder to set up the late field goal. WR Christian Watson had two catches for 67 yards, WR Dontayvion Wicks four for 30, and Reed had three catches for 24 yards with the two scores.
Defensively, Green Bay held Miami to just 39 rushing yards, as the Dolphins became one-dimensional in catch-up mode throughout the second half.
QB Tua Tagovailoa was 37-of-46 for 364 yards with two TDs and a 114.1 rating. TE Jonnu Smith had 10 catches for 113 yards, WR Tyreek Hill had six grabs for 83 yards and a TD, RB De'Von Achane had eight catches for 56 yards and a TD, and WR Jaylen Waddle had four catches for 53 yards.
Here's a recap of all the action:
Packers lead Dolphins 14-0 after first quarter
Miami won the opening coin toss and elected to defer. Keisean Nixon ripped off a season-long 43-yard kickoff return, as the Packers started from their own 46.
Green Bay went three-and-out, though, after quarterback Jordan Love couldn't connect with Jayden Reed on a deep crosser on second-and-14. The Packers got the ball back after Malik Washington muffed Daniel Whelan's 45-yard punt.
Flyer Robert Rochell recovered the loose ball at the Dolphins' 9-yard line. On third-and-goal, Reed caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Love to put the Packers up 7-0 with 12 minutes left in the first quarter.
Miami gained 18 quick yards off passes to De'Von Achane, but the Packers answered with a stop of Achane for a 1-yard loss on first-and-10 at the Miami 43. Tua Tagovailoa was then tackled for a 3-yard loss on an aborted play, compounded by a personal foul on Jonnu Smith for unnecessary roughness that pushed the Dolphins into third-and-29.
Miami punted after a 3-yard Raheem Mostert run, with Green Bay retaking possession at its 24. Tucker Kraft picked up nine yards off a screen, with Josh Jacobs following a Chris Brooks block for three yards and the first down.
Kraft then converted on third-and-3 with a 17-yard pickup to the Dolphins' 41. Jacobs gained 11 yards on second-and-8 and Emanuel Wilson picked up 15 on third-and-4 to set up first-and-goal at the Miami 7.
Jacobs took it from there, gaining six yards on first down and then scoring the 1-yard TD to push Green Bay's lead to 14-0 with 55 seconds left in the first quarter.
Packers lead Dolphins 24-3 at halftime
Miami worked the ball down to the Packers' 27 before Tyreek Hill was tackled after a 2-yard gain on third-and-6. Miami teased going for it on fourth-and-4 but was called for delay of game.
Jason Sanders made a 48-yard field goal, but Packers defensive lineman T.J. Slaton jumped offsides and the Dolphins chose to go for it again, converting with a 16-yard pass to Jaylen Waddle.
Arron Mosby tackled Achane for a 6-yard loss on first-and-goal from the GB 9 to halt the drive. Miami eventually settled for a 33-yard Sanders field goal to cut the Packers' lead to 14-3 with 8:47 left in the first half.
The Packers gained 23 yards on a first-down end-around to Reed, who followed blocks from Kraft and Dontayvion Wicks to the Miami 47.
Love tried a third-and-6 pass to Reed on a slant, but it was broken up and the Packers punted. Miami started at its own 6 after 37-yard Whelan punt and enforcement of a holding penalty.
Mostert caught a 14-yard pass to the Dolphins' 25 before a holding penalty on Robert Jones. Miami got 14 yards back on first down with an underneath pass to Smith.
The Dolphins were forced to punt after back-to-back sacks by Lukas Van Ness (for a 2-yard loss) and Kingsley Enagbare (for a 9-yard loss) on second and third down, respectively.
The Packers took over on their own 38. Wicks gained eight yards on a quick stopping route and former Dolphins running back Chris Brooks rushed for a season-long 18 yards on second-and-2 to the Miami 36.
Christian Watson fought through a defensive pass interference call on Cam Smith to pick up 21 yards to the Miami 20. Operating out of a two-RB package, Brooks gained five yards off a screen pass on second-and-7.
On third-and-2, Love faked the handoff to Jones and threw a flare out to Reed who took the pass for a 12-yard touchdown to extend Green Bay's lead to 21-3 with 1:36 left in the first half.
Tagovailoa rushed for nine yards on second-and-10 and then hit Waddle on back-to-back passes to the Green Bay 43. Achane gained five yards on a second-and-10 check down, which caused Miami to use its third timeout with 31 seconds left.
Isaiah McDuffie broke up a third-and-5 pass for Washington. Tagovailoa's fourth-down pass sailed high for Achane and Miami turned it over on downs.
The Packers still had all three timeouts left and chose to keep their foot on the gas after getting the ball back with 22 seconds remaining. Kraft picked up 17 yards on first down to the Miami 44.
Kraft caught another underneath pass and took it for nine before Green Bay called its second timeout with eight seconds left. Brooks ran for eight yards on a draw to set up Brandon McManus' 46-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
Packers lead Dolphins 27-11 after three quarters
The second half began with Mosby tackling Washington at the Dolphins' 23-yard line. On first down, McDuffie held Hill to a 2-yard gain on a pass he nearly deflected.
The Dolphins were called for delay of game on third-and-3 and went three-and-out after Tagovailoa's third-and-8 pass sailed behind Odell Beckham Jr.
The Packers took over at their 22 after Reed called for a fair catch on Jake Bailey's 52-yard punt. After gaining four yards on two Jacobs carries, Love hit Christian Watson for 46 yards on a go ball to the Miami 28.
Jacobs gained 15 yards on a run up the middle. After Reed pulled in a 9-yard catch, McManus made a 24-yard field goal to push the Packers' lead to 27-3 with 7:42 left in the third quarter.
Miami charged down the field near the end of the third quarter. A 13-yard pass to Smith was soon followed by a 16-yard pass to Smith across the middle to convert on fourth-and-1.
Tagovailoa faked a pitch and threw across the hashes to Waddle for 16 yards. Achane scored on the next play off a 14-yard screen pass to cut Green Bay's lead to 27-11 after a successful two-point conversion with 2:43 left in the fourth quarter.
Wicks caught two passes for 19 yards to move the offense to midfield, but Green Bay was forced to punt after Jacobs was tackled for a loss of two on a third-and-1 carry.
Miami started at its 18 with 34 seconds left in the third quarter after Whelan's 35-yard punt. Hill caught a 13-yard post and Mostert took a stretch for three yards to the end of the third quarter.
Packers roll past Dolphins 30-17, improve to 9-3
The Dolphins kept firing on offense, with Hill gaining 24 yards on a backside post to the Green Bay 34. Miami converted a third-and-6 with a 9-yard slant to Beckham.
Waddle looked in a 12-yard pass from Tagovailoa to set up first-and-goal at the Green Bay 9, with Achane gaining eight yards on first down.
The Packers' defense held its ground, stopping Achane for no gain on second down before Keisean Nixon broke up a third-and-goal pass for Smith off playaction.
Quay Walker sacked Tagovailoa for a 6-yard loss on fourth-and-goal for the turnover on downs with 9:33 remaining.
After Jalen Ramsey was called for defensive holding, Love hit Kraft on a playaction rollout for 16 yards to the Green Bay 32. Love threw a quick checkdown to Jacobs, who turned it into a 49-yard completion to the Dolphins' 19.
Kraft picked up the next first down on a 10-yard catch and run, setting up first-and-goal at the 9. Wicks caught a 3-yard pass but was marked down before the goal line.
Elgton Jenkins was flagged for unnecessary roughness after the play, leading to a 33-yard McManus field goal to extend Green Bay's lead to 30-11 with 5:02 remaining.
Walker came on a first-down blitz, leading to defensive tackle Kenny Clark sacking Tagovailoa for a 7-yard loss. On third-and-9, Hill caught a 30-yard crosser to the Packers' 36.
Smith caught a 15-yard out on third-and-1, setting up first-and-10 at the 12. A slant got deflected up but Hill came down with it for the TD. The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score 30-17 with 3:04 remaining.
Reed recovered the onside kick at the Miami 49. Jacobs carried the ball twice, losing a yard but forcing Miami to use its second timeout. Green Bay went three-and-out after his deep ball for Watson fell incomplete. Siran Neal made contact with Watson as he came back to the ball, but no flag was thrown.
Miami took over at its own 20 with 1:56 remaining and one timeout. On fourth-and-5, Tagovailoa connected with Waddle for 12 yards. Brenton Cox Jr. sacked Tagovailoa on second-and-9 and the game came to an end after a pass to Durham Smythe.
