Josh Jacobs carried the last turducken of the NFL’s Thanksgiving slate out of Lambeau Field after leading the Green Bay Packers to a 30-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday. Fellow turkey leg recipients Jordan Love and Isaiah McDuffie weren’t far behind, waving their winning meal in the air to show fans who braved the chilly temperatures.
Love, who notably did not receive a turkey leg last year following a win over the Detroit Lions, paced the offense on 21-of-28 passing for 274 yards and two touchdowns. Jayden Reed was on the receiving end of both scores while Jacobs also reached the end zone on a 1-yard run early in the first half.
Jordan Love DOT 🎯 pic.twitter.com/uMpCePWbbE
— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2024
Miami saw multiple second-half comeback attempts sputter out despite Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throwing for a season-high 364 yards and two touchdowns. The Dolphins managed only 39 yards on the ground and didn’t shake off the narrative that they freeze up when playing in cold-weather conditions.
Packers’ defense keeps its cool
If you wanted an example of a bend-but-don’t-break defense, watch the Packers early in the fourth quarter against the Dolphins. Miami once trailed 27-3 but was marching with ease down 27-11, threatening to cut its deficit to one score with plenty of time remaining.
Tagovailoa’s completions weren’t difficult, either. Guys were running wide open. Tagovailoa wasn’t taking deep shots, but rather finding intermediate completions to consistently move the chains. Miami faced a second-and-goal from the 1 with about 11 minutes left in the game, but Green Bay’s goal-line defense stood firm. Defensive end Rashan Gary ripped down running back De’Von Achane on second down. Cornerback Keisean Nixon broke up a pass for tight end Jonnu Smith in the flat on third down. Linebacker Quay Walker sacked Tagovailoa on a delayed blitz on fourth down. Green Bay’s offense followed that sequence up with a nine-play, 78-yard drive for a field goal that consumed four minutes and 31 seconds to take a 30-11 lead and all but seal the game. — Matt Schenidman, Packers beat writer
A reliable veteran emerges
The Packers seem to have finally found a kicker. After enduring six Brayden Narveson misses in the first six games, general manager Brian Gutekunst swapped the undrafted rookie with veteran Brandon McManus. Gutekunst wanted someone who had been through ups and downs in the NFL already and made it out the other side, not a young kicker struggling on the fly since the Packers couldn’t afford to let their talent go to waste with an inconsistent kicker. With makes from 46, 24 and 33 yards on Thursday, McManus is now 10-for-11 this season on field goals and hasn’t missed any of his 16 extra-point attempts. — Schenidman
Tua’s take freezing cold
Tagovailoa said after Sunday’s win over the Patriots that he wanted to kill any narratives about his struggles in the cold. Tagovailoa actually played well in his first game at Lambeau Field, completing 37-of-46 passes for 364 yards and two touchdowns, chunks of that coming against a Packers defense seemingly happy to keep easy completions in front. Tagovailoa’s only glaring miscue was a fourth-down pass that sailed over Achane’s head late in the first half and allowed the Packers to tack on three points before the break. Despite Tagovailoa’s impressive performance in adverse conditions, it wasn’t nearly enough to knock off the Packers, winners of three straight. — Schenidman
Required reading
(Photo: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)
