2024 NFL Week 13: Packers vs. Dolphins Thanksgiving Day Preview & Prediction

Happy Thanksgiving, Packer fans! Yes, we have much to be thankful for this day. And always. For starters, we have our breath. That's huge, right? After that, family, friends, being fans (and perhaps being owner-shareholders) of the most legendary franchise in the NFL: our Green Bay Packers. Amen.

Looking back to just a few days ago, we can also be thankful that the Pack finally did to the 49ers what the Niners have typically done to the Packers: beat them. And they did so in style, winning 38-10, with the largest margin of victory — 28 points! — in the long history of the match-up. Yay!

The Pack rode RB Josh Jacobs and his three TDs to the victory ... which may have even been put away before halftime had WR Christian Watson not dropped a 50+-yard surefire TD pass from QB Jordan Love. Watson! Frustrating. He can make some extraordinary catches, flashing inherent talent as he did the week prior against Da Bearz. And then he has these inexcusable drops. Still, among the remarkable receivers on this Packers squad, he remains really the only one that can stretch the field as quickly as he does. So have to keep going to him. No surprise there. Anyway ...

Packers QB Jordan Love launches a long ball in the game last Sunday vs. the 49ers. Can we expect a few more long balls tonight vs. the Dolphins? Stay tuned ...

(Photo via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

The Preview

As a result of the win this past Sunday, the Packers are now 8-3 going into this evening's Turkey Day game vs. the 5-6 Miami Dolphins at a reasonably cold (by Wisconsin standards ... or extremely cold by Miami standards) Lambeau Field. Which, in most divisions in the NFL would put the Pack in first place. But this season, the Pack still finds themselves behind the Lions and the ViQueens in the NFC North. Just have to keep on winning and the rest will take care of itself, i.e., playoff seeding. More on that as the season moves along to its final six games.

As for tonight's game, the temperature will be about 26 degrees at kickoff. Miami is 0-12, including playoffs, when the temperature is below 40 degrees. That should obviously play in the Packers favor. But as a few pundits have pointed out, that would typically be the case ... except for the fact that the Dolphins have a hot young QB by the name of Tua Tagovailoa. After yet again returning following what seems like his 100th concussion, Miami has gone 3-2, winning their last three games. On Sunday vs. the Patriots, Tua was 29 for 40 for 317 yards including four touchdowns; he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.

Tua has averaged between 28 and 40 pass attempts in each of his games back. Yeah, he wants to throw the ball. A lot. Will the cold affect his passing? Have to wait to see. Believe we saw somewhere that his hand size is actually pretty close to that of Aaron Rodgers which, if the case, means he should not have a problem hanging on to the ball. Although, as most cold-weather folks know, below-freezing cold can make the ol' pigskin slick. And if one is not used to that there can be issues both throwing and hanging on to the ball.

Of course, another reason he likes to throw a lot is that he has great targets to throw to: Odell Beckham Jr., Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Malik Washington. Miami is averaging 29 points per game with Tua at QB; the Packers are averaging 26.2 points this season.

Both teams will be missing a few key pieces. For the Dolphins, they will be without CB Kendall Fuller and LB Anthony Walker Jr. The Packers, unfortunately, will be without CB Jaire Alexander (once again), LB Edgerrin Cooper and WR Romeo Doubs. The Packers seem to know how to cover these gaps.

This will be an interesting game to see how the Packers attack the Miami defense and how the Green Bay defense defends against a dangerous passing QB. Can the Pack generate a consistent pass rush? (Tua doesn't run often, so getting to him in the pocket will be key to a win.) Can the defense cover some very good receivers on what projects to be a slick field at times? Can they get some takeaways on this cold evening? With a so-so rushing attack, can Miami do enough to keep the Packers defense guessing? Many questions, with the answers to play out soon.

The Prediction

This is a game that should go the Packers way: at home, on a cold evening, with most of the team's weapons on hand and both the offense and defense seemingly starting to click and play complementary football. But as we have seen all season long — and not just watching the Packers — there really are very few gimmee type games in the NFL this season.

The Packers are favored by 3-1/2 points at the time of this writing, with the over-under set at 47-1/2. Most pundits are seen the game as a close one and going with the "under".

We see the Packers winning this one. They dominated a beat-up San Francisco team four days ago. While not exactly facing the same swarm of injuries as the Niners, we are hoping the conditions tonight play out in the Packers favor and against Miami as has historically been the case.

We're calling it Packers 31 - Dolphins 20.

GO PACK GO!!!

Gobble gobble ....

2018 NFL Week 10: Packers vs. Dolphins Preview & Prediction

Here we are again, Packers fans, sitting here after another road loss, this time to the Patriots ... in yet another game where momentum was there for the taking and a Green Bay win ... except for (fill in the blank).

We've had a lot more of those fill-in-the-blank moments this season than we anticipated, or should have, particularly at the half-way mark for the Pack. Really, who would have thought that 8 games into the season the team would be a mediocre 3-4-1? Our preseason prediction basically had the Pack at 6-2 at this point. (On the other hand, we should have looked at the stat that came up just the other day that since 2015 the Packers are something along the lines of 30-25-1 ... you can look that for yourself if interested ... the point is, mediocre and "average" has been the Pack's mode of operation pretty much for the last 3+ years now despite having Aaron Rodgers at quarterback ... and that's not good.)

Packers AB Aaron Rodgers has been doing a lot of scrambling this season.
Photo: Charles Krup, AP

The offense still hasn't found any rhythm, Rodgers' knee injury -- sustained in the first game against Da Bearz -- has surely affected his performance in more ways than expected, the play calling by head coach Mike McCarthy has been very predictable, lack of commitment to the running game has limited the offense, and lack of ability to score touchdowns once in the red zone has been mind-numbing. On defense? Lack of a defensive pass rush has kept other teams on the field and making plays the Packers don't seem to be able to stop often enough, and downright stupid penalties on the defense and special teams have given opponents more yards and opportunities than they should have. It's a mess, really, isn't it? The team has been finding ways to shoot themselves in the foot, particularly on the road.

Prediction

The good news is that the Pack plays at home today in the friendly confines of Lambeau Field against the 5-4 Miami Dolphins. And, believe it or not, in this series the Fish (OK, I know, Dolphins are not fish, but just go with it, will ya?) own the Packers 10-4. Who'da thunk it?

Now, given that Miami has seen the success the Rams and Patriots had with a no-huddle offense agains the Packers, we can expect to see more of that again today. The defense better be ready for that tempo. Brock Osweiler is getting the start for Miami today and certainly no Tom Brady or even Jared Goff, for that matter. While the Dolphins are pretty much an average team, as the record shows, regrettably, so are the Packers right now. Still...Rodgers vs. Osweiler? C'mon.

Given home field advantage, Rodgers vs. Osweiler, and an absolute need to get this win today (the Pack basically need to go no worse than 6-2 in their remaining 8 games to have a shot at a playoff spot), and the Packers being favored by 9-1/2 points at the time of this writing...

We're calling it Packers 31 - Dolphins 20.

Go Pack Go!!!

Week 6: Packers vs. Dolphins Preview & Prediction

The Green Bay Packers travel to balmy Miami to take on the Dolphins about an hour from now. The weather forecast is hot and muggy, just the kind of weather that can wear down defensive players in particular if they are on the field too long. Throw in the possibility of thunderstorms and this could be a game where the conditions perhaps more than the talent determines the outcome of the game.

Favored by anywhere from 2-1/2 to 3 points depending upon who you are looking at for your spread, the 3-2 Packers will find themselves challenged by the 2-2 Fins. Perhaps to the surprise of many Packer fans, Miami actually leads the head-to-head series, 10-3.

Coached by former Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, the Dolphins run a spread offense with Ryan Tannehill as the quarterback. He's fast and can scramble, which is exactly the type of quarterback that seems to give the Packers defense all sorts of problems (e.g., Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick). If the Packers defense can keep Tannehill in the pocket and force him to pass, however, they have opportunities to generate turnovers; he's not so great with his decision-making or downfield accuracy. The Packers defensive line will be tested with a pretty solid running attack; Lamar Miller is expected to split carries with Knowshon Moreno throughout the game.

But the defensive line is perhaps the best asset the Fins have going for them. If the Packers offensive line doesn't maintain the aggressive attitude they put on display early and often against the ViQueens, it could be another tough rushing day for Eddie Lacy, who will split carries more often today, it is expected, with James Starks.

QB Aaron Rodgers
Photo by Mike Dinovo, USA TODAY Sports
It could also be a day where QB Aaron Rodgers -- who plays in his 100th career regular-season game -- sees pressure like he did earlier this season. But we expect that Rodgers, his linemen, tight ends and wide receivers will present enough challenges to the Fins defense that his 100th career regular-season game will also get the Pack their fourth win of the 2014 NFL season.

The Prediction
Assuming the Packers can weather the weather (see what I did there?), the better quarterback should lead his team to victory. In the match up between Rodgers and Tannehill, "Who ya got?". I'll take Rodgers.

I'm calling this one Packers 27 - Dolphins 20.

Go Pack Go!!!