Miami Dolphins vs Green Bay Packers Match Player Stats (Nov 28, 2024)

Malik Washington watched the punt hit frozen Lambeau turf and took a step forward. The ball skipped left off the hard surface. Washington lunged but couldn’t secure it. Robert Rochell recovered at Miami’s 9-yard line. Three plays later, Jayden Reed caught a 3-yard touchdown. The rout was on.

Green Bay destroyed Miami 30-17 in this Week 13 Thanksgiving night matchup. Love went 21-for-28 with 274 yards and 2 touchdowns behind an offensive line that didn’t allow a single sack. Tagovailoa put up bigger numbers, 365 yards and 2 touchdowns on 37-of-46 passing, but got buried five times. Jacobs scored once and totaled 117 yards from scrimmage: 43 rushing, 74 receiving. Smith set career highs with 10 catches for 113 yards, but Miami still lost by 13.

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Game Leaders

Team Statistics

Miami held the ball for six more minutes but couldn’t make it count. Ten penalties for 75 yards killed drives at the worst times. Green Bay didn’t need to control the clock because they controlled the scoreboard. The Packers protected the football and executed cleanly. Miami gave them seven points off the muffed punt before the offense even took the field.

Quarterback Battle

Love had all day. His offensive line didn’t allow a single sack. That’s how you post a 129.2 passer rating, your best mark of the season according to ESPN’s game recap. Love averaged 9.8 yards per attempt because he could stand tall, scan the field, and fire to open receivers. No hurry. No panic.

Tagovailoa threw for 91 more yards but got crushed five times for 29 yards in losses. His internal clock sped up. Feet started dancing. Throws came out rushed. He still completed 80.4 percent of his passes and extended his streak to six straight games with at least 70 percent completion rate. That tied Jared Goff for the longest active streak in the NFL at 74.5 percent for the season. But completion percentage doesn’t win when you’re getting knocked down.

The 365 yards marked Tagovailoa’s highest output since he torched the Chargers for 466 in September 2022. He spread the ball to eight different receivers. But Green Bay’s pass rush controlled when he could throw. Miami’s offense never found rhythm. Both quarterbacks faced 17.3 percent pressure rates. Love stayed clean. Tagovailoa got buried. Simple as that.

Running Game Disparity

Green Bay ran for 114 yards. Four different backs gained at least 20 yards. Miami managed 39 yards total. Achane, who entered averaging 4.3 yards per carry, got 2.0. The Dolphins couldn’t establish anything on the ground, which meant Green Bay’s defense knew what was coming. Pin your ears back and rush the quarterback. No play-action respect needed.

This wasn’t just about talent. Cold hands affect ball security. Frozen turf changes footing on cuts. Tackling technique breaks down when you’re trying to generate body heat instead of wrapping up properly. Miami’s rushing attack disappeared, just like it did in their November 17 win against Las Vegas where Achane got just 73 yards on 17 carries, except this time explosive passing plays couldn’t compensate because Tagovailoa spent half the night running for his life.

Pass Catchers

Smith posted the best numbers of his eight-year career: 10 receptions on 11 targets, 113 yards. Both marks were personal bests confirmed by Miami’s official recap. He had 58 catches for 648 yards through 12 games of the 2024 season. From Week 7 through Week 13, he led all NFL tight ends in receiving yards. He caught everything thrown his way and fought for extra yards. Still lost by 13.

Hill grabbed six for 83 yards and a touchdown, his best yardage game since Week 1. The touchdown came on a deflected pass in garbage time. Waddle finished with four catches for 53 yards, including a critical 16-yard conversion on fourth down that temporarily kept Miami’s hopes alive.

Reed scored twice on just three catches for 24 yards. Efficiency over volume. His first touchdown came gift-wrapped after the muffed punt. The second showed smart design. Reed caught a quick pass near the line, got a block from Dontayvion Wicks, and walked into the end zone untouched for 12 yards.

Kraft: six catches on seven targets, 78 yards. PFF graded him at 84.5 overall, highest of any player in the game. He gained 61 yards after the catch by running through arm tackles and keeping his feet moving. Four of his catches moved the chains, including one third-down conversion that extended a scoring drive.

Jacobs’ 49-yard catch-and-run came on a simple checkdown. He caught the ball two yards downfield, made one defender miss with a sharp cut, and raced upfield before getting tackled. “I really should’ve scored,” Jacobs said afterward. “So I’m mad at myself about that.” His frustration came from knowing that play could’ve buried Miami even deeper.

Defensive Dominance

Miami missed 20 tackles. Twenty. Cold weather played a role, sure, but so did poor angles and soft arm tackles. When you’re not used to tackling in 27-degree weather with an 18-degree wind chill, your technique breaks down. Hands get stiff. You go for the jersey instead of wrapping up. Ball carriers bounce off you.

Five different Packers recorded sacks: Kingsley Enagbare, Lukas Van Ness, Kenny Clark, Quay Walker, and Brenton Cox each got one. Van Ness and Enagbare got home on back-to-back plays in the second quarter, forcing a punt when Miami desperately needed to answer Green Bay’s early scoring. Clark recorded his first sack of the season in the fourth quarter when the Dolphins were trying to rally.

Goal-Line Stand Crushes Comeback

Miami drove to second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, trailing 27-11 early in the fourth quarter. Score here and it’s a one-possession game with plenty of time left. Rashan Gary stuffed Achane for no gain on second down. Nixon broke up a pass on third down. Fourth-and-goal from the 1.

Walker blitzed straight up the A-gap. No one picked him up. He hit Tagovailoa six yards behind the line of scrimmage. Game over.

“Just saw daylight and went,” Walker said. “I just do too much thinking instead of going out there and just playing. Anytime I have that mindset, see it and go, I can be a real productive player.”

That sequence killed Miami’s spirit. You fight your way to the 1-yard line twice in four plays and come away with nothing. Green Bay’s defense won when it had to win.

Special Teams Impact

Washington’s muffed punt changed the trajectory. Green Bay went three-and-out on the opening drive. Miami had a chance to flip the field. Instead, Washington couldn’t secure the ball in the cold. Rochell recovered at the 9. Reed scored three plays later. Instead of Miami potentially leading after their first offensive series, they trailed 7-0 and never caught up.

Brandon McManus made three field goals from 46, 24, and 33 yards. His 46-yarder as time expired in the first half crushed any momentum Miami thought they’d built. Trailing 21-3 with the ball and 22 seconds left, the Dolphins couldn’t convert on fourth-and-5. Green Bay got the ball back, Love hit two quick passes, and McManus drilled the kick to make it 24-3 at halftime. Sanders made his only attempt, a 33-yarder in the second quarter.

Cold Weather Reality

Miami extended their losing streak in cold weather to 12 straight games below 40 degrees at kickoff, dating back to their last win in December 2016. That’s not a coincidence anymore. That’s who they are. The temperature at kickoff was 27 degrees with an 18-degree wind chill. NFL.com reported Green Bay players noticed. “Them boys looked cold out there,” Jacobs said.

Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks didn’t hide from it: “I thought we were soft. Simple as that. I don’t know if guys were too cold. I feel like the elements played a part in how we played as a group, and that was the result that we got.”

Three Sequences That Decided It

Washington’s Muffed Punt (First Quarter): Rochell recovered at Miami’s 9. Reed scored three plays later. Green Bay 7, Miami 0. Game essentially over right there.

Jacobs’ Touchdown Drive (First Quarter): Green Bay marched 76 yards on 12 plays, eating 6:58 off the clock. Emanuel Wilson converted third-and-4 with a 15-yard run. Jacobs punched in a 1-yard touchdown. Green Bay 14, Miami 0.

First-Half Finish: Reed caught his second touchdown with 1:36 remaining. After Tagovailoa overthrew Achane on fourth down, Green Bay got the ball back with 22 seconds left. McManus hit from 46 yards as time expired. Green Bay 24, Miami 3.

Red-Zone Execution Gap

Green Bay scored on all five red-zone trips for 27 points. Miami reached the red zone four times and settled for one field goal while getting stopped on downs at the 1-yard line. Eight points Miami never recovered. Walker’s fourth-down sack alone probably cost them seven. You don’t win going 2-for-4 inside the 20.

Same problem on third down. Green Bay converted 45.5 percent (5 of 11). Miami converted 28.6 percent (4 of 14). Miami held the ball longer but scored 13 fewer points. Moving the chains matters. Scoring doesn’t happen without it.

Advanced Metrics

Pro Football Reference’s box score shows Green Bay won the expected points added battle by 30 points:

Expected Points Added:
Green Bay: +15.00 (Offense: +14.75, Defense: -1.74, Special Teams: +2.71)
Miami: -15.00 (Offense: +1.74, Defense: -14.75, Special Teams: -2.71)

That special teams EPA captures how devastating the muffed punt was. Kraft gained 61 of his 78 receiving yards after the catch. Jacobs’ 49-yard reception included 72 yards after catch on a 2-yard checkdown. Green Bay totaled 174 yards after catch compared to Miami’s 146. When receivers create yards after the catch, it means the scheme put them in space and the protection held long enough for plays to develop.

Three Matchups That Decided It

Green Bay’s Offensive Line vs. Miami’s Pass Rush

Zero sacks allowed. Love had time to scan the field, step into throws, and pick Miami apart. The Dolphins generated pressure on 17.3 percent of dropbacks but couldn’t finish. Miami’s defensive ends couldn’t beat Green Bay’s tackles one-on-one. When they sent extra rushers, Love found the hot read. The pass protection gap determined everything else.

Miami’s Offensive Line vs. Green Bay’s Front

Five sacks. 39 rushing yards. Tagovailoa got hit on 17.3 percent of dropbacks and went down five times. Achane had nowhere to run. Miami’s interior line got pushed back consistently. When Tagovailoa tried to escape pressure, Green Bay had pursuit angles covered. The Dolphins couldn’t establish the run, couldn’t protect the pass. You can’t win football games like that.

Green Bay’s Run Blocking vs. Miami’s Defensive Front

Four different Packers backs gained at least 20 yards. The offensive line created holes on outside zone, inside zone, and gap schemes. Miami’s defensive line got worn down by the fourth quarter. Brooks ripped off an 18-yarder. Wilson broke a 15-yard run. Even Reed found 23 yards on an end-around. When your run game gets going with multiple contributors, the defense can’t key on one back. Miami had no answer.

Playoff Implications

The November 28 loss dropped Miami to 5-7, severely damaging their AFC wild-card hopes. After entering on a three-game winning streak, the Dolphins sat just one game behind Denver for the final playoff spot. The loss to Green Bay pushed them two games back with five remaining on their schedule. They needed to win at least four of their final five games plus get help from other contenders to reach the postseason.

Green Bay improved to 9-3 and kept pace in the NFC North race. The Packers trailed Detroit by two games but had a Thursday night rematch with the Lions scheduled for December 5. Green Bay had won seven of their last eight games heading into that divisional showdown. Love hadn’t thrown an interception in 10 consecutive quarters, and the offense was peaking at the right time for a potential playoff run.

Final Assessment

Green Bay controlled both lines of scrimmage from the opening snap. Love had time to throw while Jacobs and the backups found running lanes. Miami’s offensive line couldn’t protect Tagovailoa or open holes for Achane. When your quarterback throws for 365 yards and you still lose by 13, the problems run deeper than the stat sheet.

Smith had the best game of his career while Hill got loose a few times. Tagovailoa completed 80 percent of his passes. None of it mattered because Miami gave up 39 rushing yards, missed 20 tackles, and couldn’t convert from the 1-yard line when they needed it most. The Dolphins extended their cold-weather losing streak to 12 straight games below 40 degrees, a pattern that dated back to December 2016. Until they solved that problem, they couldn’t be considered a legitimate playoff threat in January.

Green Bay won this Thanksgiving matchup by controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Love threw for 274 yards without taking a sack. The defense forced five sacks and held Miami to 39 rushing yards. The final score was 30-17, but the game was decided by halftime when the Packers led 24-3. Miami’s late scores came with the outcome already settled.