Here are a number of the high takeaways from the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Green Bay Packers at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday:
Tua late interceptions one thing you don’t see typically
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who entered the sport with 24 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, threw three fourth-quarter interceptions that have been all pivotal and out of character from what we’ve seen thus far this season. It additionally proved he’s not resistant to late-game miscues, because it’d appeared this season. The first move was supposed for broad receiver Tyreek Hill however Tagovailoa overthrew him and Jaire Alexander picked off the move, which ultimately led to the Packers go-ahead area aim for a 23-20 rating. The second interception got here when Tagovailoa was going for operating again Raheem Mostert however it appeared Mostert was operating a “go” or deep route towards the top zone and Tagovailoa was throwing maybe a hook sample or one thing that required Mostert to cease. The final interception was supposed for Hill (though tight finish Mike Gesicki was additionally within the neighborhood) and gave the impression to be an overthrow. — Chris Perkins
Cold climate Dolphins
Temperature at kickoff was 46 levels (with a appears like temperature of 40 levels) making it the second-coldest dwelling sport in franchise historical past behind the Christmas Eve 1989 sport towards Kansas City when it was 40 levels at kickoff.
Here are the 5 coldest dwelling kickoffs in franchise historical past:
(Temperature; Date; Opponent; Result)
40; 12-24-89; Kansas City; L, 27-24
46; 12-25-22; Green Bay; L, 26-20
51; 12-31-83*; Seattle; L, 27-20
52; 12-20-04; New England; W, 29-28
53; 12-19-81; Buffalo; W, 16-6
* Playoff sport
Hill nonetheless establishing information
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill established his career-best single-season receptions mark with 4 catches to achieve 113 for the season, eclipsing his earlier better of 111 in 2021. The Dolphins franchise file was beforehand 112, which was established by Jarvis Landry in 2017. Hill additionally established the NFL file for many receiving yards in a primary season with a crew with 1,632. The earlier mark was 1,535 by Stefon Diggs in 2020, his first yr with Buffalo.
Bad second-half possessions by offense
The Dolphins’ second-half possessions have been interception-interception-missed area goal-interception. That’s one thing we hadn’t seen all season.
The offense ran out of fuel within the second half after scoring 20 factors within the first half. The Dolphins, by the way in which, are actually the other way up in level differential at minus-5.
There have been no worries about Sanders, after which …
Kicker Jason Sanders had a streak of 12 consecutive area targets finish within the third quarter when he was broad proper on a 48-yard area aim try. Sanders hit a 46-yard area aim within the first quarter to increase his streak to 11 consecutive made area targets, together with a career-best 55-yarder towards the Los Angeles Chargers. He then prolonged that to 12 consecutive with a 34-yard area aim within the second quarter. On the constructive facet, Sanders is now fourth in franchise historical past with (547) factors. He surpassed kicker Uwe von Schamann (540) on Sunday.
A Gesicki sighting
Tight finish Mike Gesicki had a 24-yard reception within the second quarter that led to a 52-yards catch by Tyreek Hill after which a 1-yard landing run by Jeff Wilson Jr. But the Gesicki reception marked his second catch prior to now 5 video games. Gesicki had one reception for five yards towards Buffalo and had no receptions the earlier three video games with simply 4 targets. Unfortunately, Gesicki ended the Packers sport with that lone reception.
Chubb returns with proper hand wrapped, however has low-key sport
Edge rusher Bradley Chubb, who ended with one deal with, performed from late within the second quarter together with his proper hand wrapped up as the results of a primary quarter damage. The move rush trio of Chubb and linebackers Jaelan Phillips and Melvin Ingram ended with seven tackles and no sacks. Phillips had six tackles. The Dolphins ended the sport with two sacks (one by security Eric Rowe, the opposite by linebacker Elandon Roberts). Phillips, who has had a great season, received known as for a questionable fourth-quarter roughing-the-passer penalty towards Aaron Rodgers. Chubb narrowly missed a sack towards Rodgers after that on third down. The play resulted in an incomplete move however a 28-yard area aim that gave the Packers 23-20 lead. Phillips additionally had a questionable roughing-the-passer name towards Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert three video games in the past.
Dolphins’ run sport
The Dolphins had 82 speeding yards on 18 carries. They had 58 yards speeding on 10 carries at halftime. But they didn’t really want offensive steadiness early contemplating that they had 24 performs within the first half, together with an 84-yard landing move and a 52-yard reception by Hill to the Green Bay 1-yard line. Miami ended up operating simply 45 performs thanks to a few turnovers.
One space it appeared the Dolphins had an edge coming into the sport was operating the ball. Green Bay was twenty ninth in run protection at 148.9 yards allowed per sport, and whereas the Dolphins have been twenty seventh in speeding offense at 96.9 yards per sport they have been coming off a 188-yard efficiency at Buffalo.
Raheem Mostert ended with 45 yards speeding on eight carries, whereas Jeff Wilson Jr. had 37 yards speeding om 9 carries.
Green Bay goes for it on fourth downs
The Packers have been 3 of 5 on fourth downs, together with a landing, a faux punt, and an overthrow of an open receiver. The Packers’ most vital fourth down of the sport may need been the fourth-and-3 within the fourth quarter after they kicked a 26-yatrd area aim for a 26-20 lead. The Packers had the selection to go for it and attempt to rating a landing to make it a two-score sport however they broadly elected to kick and drive the Dolphins to attain a landing on their ultimate possession as a substitute of a game-tying area aim.
Dolphins psychological toughness takes a success
The streaky Dolphins entered on a three-game shedding streak and performed a sport that was set to check their psychological toughness contemplating Green Bay was sub-.500. The Dolphins, who began the season 3-0, then misplaced three consecutive, then received 5 consecutive, then misplaced three consecutive. The Dolphins failed Sunday’s mental-toughness take a look at. We’ll see how they reply within the ultimate two regular-season video games. It’s been an up and down yr, however the Dolphins have answered the decision earlier than.
Tua threw his first dwelling interception in additional than a yr, after which tossed two extra
The Dolphins’ quarterback had gone 199 passes with out an interception at Hard Rock Stadium since Dec. 19, 2021 towards the New York Jets. Then he floated a ball quick left towards Tyreek Hill, who was in the midst of a quartet of Packers defenders, and it was snagged by cornerback Jaire Alexander. Then, six tosses later, he threw a vital decide when the Dolphins have been in place to tie the sport late. And, then, the unpleasant finale. — Steve Svekis
Three extra unpleasant performs by particular groups have been pricey
The Packers’ first kickoff return went for 93 yards to arrange a area aim, after which an ugly-looking squib kick gave Green Bay a primary down close to midfield en path to a landing that made it 10-10. And, then, Jason Sanders’ troubles flared up once more as he pushed a 48-yard area aim try to the appropriate and left the rating 20-20 late within the third quarter. Thirteen factors to the Packers’ profit probably.
McDaniel mystifyingly didn’t problem the Marcedes Lewis’ 31-yard reception to first-and-goal
As the tight finish got here to the bottom with the superbly thrown, arcing move from Aaron Rodgers, the ball clearly rolled on the bottom briefly. Fox analyst and former NFL head of officers Mike Pereira mentioned the ball would have been dominated incomplete. What is coach Mike McDaniel’s assessment course of and the way did such a play slip by means of?
Wilkins by the numbers
The greatest Pro Bowl snub on the Dolphins was Christian Wilkins, who but once more was a terror towards the Packers, with a number of batted passes amongst his impression performs. Here are a few of his numbers by means of his first 14 video games this season. He had performed in 785 snaps, probably the most within the NFL amongst inside defensive linemen. The player-grading web site Pro Football Focus has assigned Wilkins with a grade above 81 in 4 video games of his previous 12 (81.1 at dwelling towards Houston, 82.2 at dwelling towards Buffalo, 91.1 at Cincinnati and a 91.3 on the Los Angeles Chargers). For context, Wilkins had solely three such grades in his first 49 profession video games.
One of probably the most unbelievable stats within the NFL was improved upon
Packers coach Matt LaFleur improved to 15-0 in his profession in December regular-season video games with the victory. He has taken a loss in January, within the season finale final yr when the Packers, at a best-in-the-NFC 13-3, sat lots of their starters, together with Aaron Rodgers for a half.
2023 variable opponent replace
With the Dolphins ensconced in second place within the AFC East after NFL Week 17, the 2023 variable video games equate to dwelling video games towards the Tennessee Titans and both the Carolina Panthers (if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat or tie the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday evening) or the Buccaneers, and a return journey to Baltimore to face the Ravens.
The Tyreek-o-Meter
In the horse race with the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, who with 1,756 receiving yards is on tempo to interrupt the NFL file of 1,964 set by the Lions’ Calvin Johnson in 2012 (1,990), Hill is 124 behind Jefferson at 1,632. It could be famous that Jefferson has performed two cold-weather video games in his profession with a mixed 105 yards in that pairing, and he finishes with video games in Green Bay after which Chicago.
On deck: At New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium, Sunday, 1 p.m.
The Dolphins head to Massachusetts with the prospect to remove Bill Belichick and the Patriots from playoff competition. One concern for Miami would be the Pats protection, who held the Dolphins offense to 13 factors within the season opener and has six defensive touchdowns this yr, and has a three-game streak with at the least one such rating heading into the New Year’s matchup.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
