The Miami Dolphins saw their three-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night in cold temperatures.
Cold-weather games have been a problem for the Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and former Carolina Panthers star Cam Newton had something to say about the topic on Friday.
Specifically, Newton claimed that Tagovailoa’s arm strength isn’t the same in cold weather. As evidence, he pointed to Miami’s play-calling in the cold, with the former MVP noting a lack of deep passes.
The temperature at Lambeau Field was just 27 degrees when the Dolphins-Packers contest kicked off, and because of wind, it felt like 18 degrees. Tagovailoa’s longest completion went for 30 yards, a fine distance but certainly nothing to write home about.
What’s interesting is that overall, Tagovailoa had his most gaudy performance of the season so far in terms of total passing yards. He threw for a season-high 365 yards and had two touchdowns compared to zero interceptions. Tagovailoa completed 37 of his 46 passing attempts as well, which equates to a completion percentage of 80.4 percent.
Aside from defensive woes, a lack of production from a rushing standpoint might have been one of the biggest reasons behind the team’s defeat, as four players for Miami finished with 50-plus receiving yards. Running back Raheem Mostert led Miami in total rushing yards with just 19, and fellow back De’Von Achane chipped in only 14.
After falling to Green Bay, the Dolphins and Tagovailoa are now back to two wins away from reaching the .500 mark at 5-7 with five games remaining on their regular-season schedule. Fortunately for Miami, the team has a winnable contest coming up on Dec. 8.
The Dolphins will take on a fellow AFC East team, the New York Jets, at Hard Rock Stadium. The Jets are amid another lost campaign, as they own a record of just 3-8 on the season and are losers of each of their last two games. The New England Patriots are the only team in the division with an inferior record.