he Miami Dolphins kicked off their season with a shaky start, a surprising turn for a team that had seen playoff action the past two years. They managed a comeback win against the Jaguars in Week 1, only to face a humbling defeat at the hands of the rival Bills shortly after.

That game was particularly rough as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion, adding to Miami’s woes. Eight games in, the Dolphins were staring at a grim 2-6 record.

But like a phoenix rising, the Dolphins managed to string together a three-game winning streak, displaying an invigorated offense by putting 34 points on the board in consecutive games. Alas, their Thanksgiving matchup against the Packers brought an end to the streak with a disheartening 30-17 loss at Lambeau Field.

The game opened with the Packers stumbling out of the gate on their first drive. Green Bay’s backfield, led by Josh Jacobs, struggled, barely gaining a yard.

Tight end Tucker Kraft drew a false start penalty, setting them back even further. Then, Miami’s defense, bolstered by Zach Sieler sacking Jordan Love, appeared to have swung momentum by recovering a loose ball, but the play was reversed to an incompletion.

The Dolphins’ defensive squad, a steady force under Anthony Weaver, forced a crucial three-and-out. Yet, the momentum faltered when rookie Malik Washington muffed the ensuing punt, and the Packers capitalized with a quick Love-to-Reed touchdown pass.

The night wasn’t kind to Miami’s defense, a unit that had excelled at stifling opposing rush attacks, holding teams under 100 yards rushing for five straight games. However, Green Bay’s ground game carved them up for 50 yards in the first quarter alone, finishing with 114 yards from 25 runs.

Jacobs led the charge with 43 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts. Miami struggled all night to contain the Packers’ run offense and failed to register a single sack on Love, showcasing a defense on its heels.

Perhaps more baffling was Miami’s offensive strategy. Instead of feeding a ground game that might have exploited a Green Bay defense ranked 12th against the run, McDaniel’s Dolphins dialed back their rushing efforts to a mere 14 carries for 39 yards – both season lows. With their offense leaning heavily on passing, even with recent successes, it was a curious plan against a Packers front that had been generous in yards yielded on the ground, particularly in previous weeks against other NFC North teams like the Lions and Bears.

The mismatch in styles was glaring by halftime: Miami was down 24-3, running 28 plays with a tilted 21 passing attempts to just seven rushes. Despite Tagovailoa effectively completing 14 of 19 passes for 118 yards, the Dolphins’ passing-heavy approach didn’t complement their game script against the balanced Packers, who matched their 31 plays nearly equally between runs and throws. The Packers confidently outgained Miami 213-121 in total yardage in that half, putting the Dolphins squarely in catch-up mode.

Tagovailoa’s stat line of 37 completions on 46 attempts for 365 yards with a pair of second-half touchdown throws tells the story of an offense finding rhythm too late. His connection with De’Von Achane and Tyreek Hill did put the Dolphins on the board, but the damage was largely done. Hill’s two long receptions were among the scant bright spots in a night dominated by dink-and-dunk passing and an overwhelmed offensive line that saw Tua sacked five times, a reflection of a ground attack that never was.

By game’s end, Miami’s Thanksgiving evening was hamstrung not just by their performance, but by a game plan that seemed to play right into Green Bay’s hands, highlighting a rough night where too much fell off course.