The Green Bay Packers hadn’t found their perfect performance this season. Well, just like last year, it came on Thanksgiving. On Thursday night, the Packers beat the Miami Dolphins 30-17, improving to 9-3 in the regular season and getting closer to the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
There were questions about the quality of opponents both of these teams had beaten lately. And the Packers showed they are in the upper class of the NFL.
Matt LaFleur’s masterclass
This was one of those games where head coach Matt LaFleur did whatever he wanted to. Beautiful run designs, like the one play where Green Bay lined up in shotgun with a split backfield, but Josh Jacobs running through the middle. Also, easy throws for Jordan Love, giving players like Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft the ability to generate yards after the reception.
The Packers have had seven wide receiver runs for 12 or more yards in 2024. No other team has more than four. This is how a coach maximizes his unit with gameplans, with play design. It was a real scheme masterclass.
But it goes beyond that. You know an offensive coaching staff is doing a good job in the details, and while there are some concerns about the Packers’ pre-snap penalties, the execution on Thursday night against the Miami Dolphins was impressive.
A good example is Jayden Reed’s second touchdown. He caught the ball at the line of scrimmage, and fellow wide receivers Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks blocked with an incredible efficiency to allow Reed to reach the end zone after the catch.
In the final drive of the first half, after the defense forced a turnover on downs, LaFleur meticulously managed the clock and the plays to put Brandon McManus in position to convert a 46-yard field goal.
Matt LaFleur extracts the most out of everyone, and their lives are much easier because they have such a creative and smart offensive playdesigner and playcaller.
The offense was more conservative in the second half, LaFleur was also conservative with fourth-down decisions. But ultimately it was a respectable effort with a comfortable score.
Positive special teams plays
We have talked so much over the years about special teams killing the Packers, which included playoff eliminations in 2021 and 2023. Well, fans can’t complain about what happened on Thanksgiving with Rich Bisaccia’s unit.
To start the game, Keisean Nixon had a 43-yard return. Right after the offense stalled on the initial drive, Robert Rochell recovered a muffed punt, putting the offense in position to score first. From that point on, the Packers had complete control of the game. Perhaps, it wouldn’t have happened without a strong performance from the special teams.
Right at the start of the second half, edge rusher Arron Mosby also had an impressive tackle to limit the Dolphins’ return.
There was one big special teams negative play, when TJ Slaton jumped offsides on 4th & 9, allowing the Dolphins to get back into position to go for it. They did convert it, but the drive ended up with a field goal anyway.
Brandon McManus had even a great tackle on a kickoff return. For real, it was a solid tackle by the kicker.
Pass rush gives signs of life
After a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said this about the cold weather in Green Bay.
“I’m excited to kill narratives. Let’s go. Bring it on.”
Well, that narrative about the Dolphins in cold weather won’t go away so soon. But the Packers might have started to change a narrative. The pass rush has finally shown signs of life, generating consistent pressure on Tagovailoa.
Last year’s first-round pick Lukas Van Ness had two sacks, matching what he had in the rest of the season and tying the four sacks he had in his rookie season. It was probably his best game in the NFL. Kingsley Enagbare and Brenton Cox also had sacks.
Early in the fourth quarter, when it seemed like the Dolphins would make a push for a comeback, Rashan Gary had some impactful plays in the redzone to help the defense force a turnover on downs at the one-yard line.
Side note: These weren’t pressures, but edge rusher Arron Mosby had a huge tackle for loss and a big tackle on special teams. Mosby and Cox have taken advantage of their new opportunities since the Packers traded Preston Smith away, and that was the plan all along.
On the interior, it wasn’t as productive of a day, but defensive tackle Kenny Clark got his first sack of the season.