Packers capitalize on three fourth-quarter INTs to beat Dolphins

Miami – The Green Bay Packers made a big comeback on Christmas Day by beating the Miami Dolphins 26-20. He led 20-10 in Miami, but the Packers’ defense did well in the fourth quarter as he recorded three interceptions and Miami lost four in a row after winning five in a row from weeks 7-12. I was.

Miami receivers Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle both had great days, but it was the picks of Packers defenders Jaile Alexander, Devondle Campbell and Rasul Douglas that made the difference. With Green Bay going 7-8 and Miami going 8-7, playoff hopes are alive and well for both teams. Let’s take a closer look at Sunday’s matchup and the upcoming games for both franchises.

The Packers received all the gifts they needed from the NFC playoff contenders on Christmas Eve. They saved the biggest for themselves on Christmas Day, and the day after the Seahawks, Giants, Lions, and Commanders all lost, the Packers played the part, claiming his spot as the last wild card in the NFC. Aiming and pulling in within half game with Commanders. With home games against the Vikings and Lions remaining to wrap up the regular season, the Packers’ playoff chances rise from 17% before the game to 37% after, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. The Packers’ easiest path to the playoffs is to win and (1) lose to Washington or (2) lose two to the Giants. 8-9 still has a chance, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The Packers have a defense to thank. Yes, let Tua Tagovailoa throw where he wanted in the first half with a defense that has been disappointing all season. However, the unit came up with three straight interceptions in the fourth quarter, including a game clincher by Rasul Douglas with 1:27 left in the game.

An aggressive game plan by coach Matt LaFleur also paid off. The Packers had him on 4th down and he had 5 and 3 conversions. They scored his fourth down in three of his four scoring drives in the first. It was the first time he converted three 4-downs in the same game since Week 12 of the 2020 season. And now, with three straight wins, the Packers match their longest winning streak this season. It was their third win of the season after defeating the Cowboys in Week 10 and the Bears in Week 13, trailing by double digits. Until Sunday, Aaron Rodgers had never achieved his third double-digit comeback in the same season.

Promising trends: Keisean Nixon is real. In case of doubt (despite coming into the game with a league-leading three kickoff returns of 50+ yards), he had another blast on Sunday. Days after being named a Pro Bowl alternate as a returns specialist, he took 193 yards in the first quarter against the Dolphins. To keep the ball out of Nixon’s hands, the Dolphins squib the ensuing kickoff to give the Packers a short field and turn it into a touchdown. However, Nixon, who suffered a groin injury, dropped out in the second quarter and did not return.

Troublesome trends: The Packers have scored just three points from Nixon’s last two big kickoff returns. They hit a field goal after his 93-yarder on Sunday, the Packers coming out Sunday with his 50% goal-to-go efficiency, the worst in the NFL this season. After starting from his 9-yard line for the Dolphins, he lost 9 yards and settled for a field goal. That’s three more points for him than Nixon scored after his 52-yard return against the Rams last week. Green Bay had him two-fifths in the red zone on Sunday.

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Keisean Nixon returned the kick 93 yards to give the Packers excellent field position on their first drive.

Promising Trends, Part II: LaFleur remains undefeated as head coach in December. He’s currently 15-0. The Packers won his first 14 of those games by an average margin of 10.1 points per game. They haven’t lost in December since the 2018 season finale.

Troublesome Trends, Part II: In addition to Nixon’s injury, the Packers also lost receiver Christian Watson to a hip injury. This was his two more than his previous season’s highest catch. He also lost right tackle Yosh Nyman (shoulder) and defensive tackle Dean Lowry (calf). — Rob Demofsky

Underestimated stats you should know: Rodgers tallied 192 yards and scored a touchdown on Sunday in a blitz. This is his second-most passing yards in the last five seasons. The Dolphins blitzed Rodgers with a 26 dropback on Sunday. This is the most times he’s been blitzed in a game since Week 15 of 2017.

next game: vs. Vikings (January 1 at 4:25 PM ET)

Dolphin Christmas was neither holly nor merry. Yule Instead of his log, the whole December is burning in the fireplace. They finished December without a win for the second time in franchise history. This loss inflicted on NFC opponents is somewhat a silver lining, given that it won’t dramatically affect their playoff chances, but to snap 5 years, the Patriots and Jets in the last two You’ll need to beat both of the playoff droughts.

On paper, Miami played a decent game. His 376-yard offense was above his season average, holding the Packers just three downs he went 2-for-7 and averaging 8.4 yards per play. back breaker? turnover. The Dolphins turned over the ball in his fourth inning on Sunday, including his three interceptions on Tagovailoa and Raheem on his Mostert fumble. They’ve lost five of the six games they’ve flipped the ball over multiple times this season.

Tagovailoa, in particular, is unusually nonchalant on the ball, and there should be legitimate concerns about the Dolphins’ ability to perform when the timing gets messed up. The Jets and Patriots own his fourth-best defense in the NFL and his eighth-best defense in yards per game. Dolphin fans, fasten your seatbelts as it can be a rocky finish.

Please describe this game in two words. Lamborghini and Ferrari. Dolphins wide receiver Hill once compared himself and his fellow receiver Waddle to his two luxury sports cars his maker. Waddle and Hill were all about Miami’s offense, with combined they totaled 246 yards and he scored a touchdown on nine catches. Aside from those two things, there wasn’t much to note from the Dolphins’ perspective.

QB Breakdown: Tagovailoa was a big play in the first half, going 9-of-12 for 221 yards and a touchdown, including an 84-yard TD pass to Waddle and a 52-yard catch from Hill. He looked sharper than he did at the beginning of December as the Dolphins continued to rediscover the rhythm of their offense, but he pulled deep into Miami territory to set up the Packers’ go-ahead field goal early in the fourth inning. threw a mind-boggling interception in the quarter. He combined a rough second half with another 4th quarter interception on the Dolphins’ next drive, then a third to end the game, and threw an interception on three consecutive drives was the It was the first time in his career.

Overall, Tagovailoa appeared to build up a strong performance against Buffalo in Week 15, finishing with 310 passing yards and one touchdown, but made enough mistakes to take the blame for Miami’s loss. did.

Promising/Troublesome Trends: The Dolphins these days lend themselves to at least one very explosive play per game. Waddle’s 84-yard touchdown in the first quarter extended his winning streak to four straight games with at least one touchdown of 60+ yards. These plays are usually unreliable, so it’s up to you to see this as a promising trend or a troubling one, but it’s trending either way.The Dolphins have exploded in the last four games. Only twice has he scored without a good play. Those plays obviously still count, but Miami hasn’t maintained their drive, having only five red zone trips in their last four games. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

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Jaylen Waddle catches a short pass from Tua Tagovailoa to pass the Packers defense for an 84-yard score.

Underestimated stats you should know: The Packers slowed the Dolphins play action pass game in the second half. In the first half, Miami went 5/6 with 176 yards and one score. in the second half? 2/5 for 40 yards and a pick.

next game: The Patriots (January 1, 1:00 PM ET)