What went right, what went wrong for the Dolphins vs. Packers in Week 13

The season got off to a horrific start for a team that had reached the playoffs the previous two years. The Miami Dolphins rallied to beat the Jaguars in Week 1 and were then embarrassed at home by the rival Bills on a Thursday night. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went down with a concussion in the second half, and after eight games Mike McDaniel's team owned a 2-6 mark.

Miami entered their Thanksgiving night appearance at Lambeau Field riding a three-game winning streak, and having scored 34 points in each of their last two outings.

There was no semblance of that kind of performance against the formidable Packers, who handled the 'Fins, 30-17.

Dolphins' three-game winning streak came to an ugly end

What went right, then wrong: Promising start gone awry

The home-standing Packers got the football first, and went nowhere quickly. In fact, Matt LaFleur's team headed backwards. Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs was limited to one yard. Second down and nine became 2nd-and-14 when Packers tight end Tucker Kraft was flagged for a false start. There was an incompletion by quarterback Jordan Love to wideout Jayden Reed. On third down, Love was sacked by Miami's Zach Sieler, and Calais Campbell recovered Love's fumble, but the play was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass.

It was an important three-and-out for Anthony Weaver's defensive unit. The Packers punted, but rookie Malik Washington muffed the ball and Green Bay's Robert Rochell recovered the ball at Miami's 9-yard line. It led to a Love-to-Reed three-yard TD pass, and the Packers took a 7-0 lead.

RELATED: Tyreek Hill's message to Malik Washington is exactly what Dolphins need

What went wrong: Dolphins' defense on its heels

Entering Thanksgiving night, the Dolphins had won three consecutive games and limited the opposition to fewer than 100 yards rushing in each victory. In fact, Anthony Weaver's defensive unit gave up less than 100 yards rushing in their previous five outings. That didn't seem to matter much on Thursday evening at Lambeau Field. Weaver's defenders permitted 50 yards on the ground in the first quarter alone.

Green Bay would finish the game with 114 yards rushing on 25 attempts. Jacobs led the way with 19 carries for 43 yards and a score. He was one of four players who ran for at least 20 yards in the contest, a list that includes running back Chris Brooks (28) and Emanuel Wilson (20), as well as Reed's 23-yard run. Miami's defensive fronts had their issues all night, evidenced by the fact that the Dolphins failed to sack Love.

What went wrong: Curious offensive game plan

Apparently, running the football was not really part of McDaniel's game plan on Thanksgiving night. The early numbers indicate that there wasn't any commitment to the ground attack. By the end of the game, the Dolphins had totaled 14 running plays for 39 yards. Those numbers were both season lows for a team that had been relying heavily on the passing game the previous three weeks. That also included two tries for six yards by Tagovailoa.

Yes, the Miami offense had been successful in recent weeks, but it was still a very curious approach against a Green Bay defensive unit that was pretty much in the middle of the NFL (ranked 12th) when it came to run defense. In seven of their first 11 outings in 2024, Packers defenders had allowed at least 120 yards on the ground and were gashed in recent weeks by the Lions and Bears.

What went wrong: Balance vs. imbalance

Disappointing. McDaniel's squad was down 24-3 at halftime, and the difference in offensive philosophy and execution was startling. The Dolphins ran 28 offensive plays in the first half, three times as many pass plays (21) as rushing attempts. Tagovailoa connected on 14 of his 19 throws for only 118 yards and was sacked twice.

Meanwhile, the Packers were almost perfectly balanced. Their 31 offensive plays included 16 runs and 15 throws. Green Bay outgained Miami, 213-121, in the first half and looked like a confident club. Meanwhile, McDaniel's overwhelmed team appeared to be in panic mode. In the early stages of the third quarter, the Dolphins were sitting at seven running plays for 14 yards. Conversely, McDaniel's team had already been flagged seven times for 50 yards, and finished the night with 10 penalties for 75 yards.

What went wrong: Tua late, Tua little

Don't be fooled by the final numbers. The Dolphins' play-calling and game plan had a lot to do with those statistics, and that's not a compliment. The statistics for Tagovailoa read that he connected on 37 of his 46 throws for 365 yards and touchdown tosses to running back De'Von Achane (14 yards) and veteran wideout Tyreek Hill (12 yards). Both came in the second half, and the latter was off a deflection by Packers safety Xavier McKinney on a pass intended for tight end Jonnu Smith.

Tagovailoa did a lot of dinking and dunking, and the Dolphins finished with only two offensive plays of 20 or more yards—both receptions by Hill. The failure to establish any kind of ground game made it easy for Green Bay defenders. Tagovailoa was sacked a season-high five times. He was dropped a combined nine times in his previous five games.

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