MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins entered their Thursday matchup against the Green Bay Packers looking to shift public perception regarding their performance in cold weather and against winning teams. Unfortunately, they were unable to address these criticisms, resulting in a 30-17 defeat and breaking their three-game winning streak, a narrative they’ve struggled with in recent seasons.
“That’s the thing with narratives,” expressed head coach Mike McDaniel following the loss. “If you let the naysayers win, they become louder. You carry that until you can change the outcome, which we didn’t manage to do tonight.”
Last season, the Dolphins recorded a total of 11 victories, yet half of their seven defeats came against teams with winning records, including a playoff loss. This season, they have only managed to defeat one team with a winning record — the Dallas Cowboys — in Week 16. The pattern continued, as all five teams they have bested thus far had a record of .500 or below. When facing winning teams, Miami has failed to secure a victory, going 0-4 and being outscored 115-57 overall.
McDaniel highlighted the tough lessons learned in the NFL, stating, “You have to earn everything; nothing should be given. We face a lot of scrutiny after this loss, and I prefer it that way. We need to put in the work to meet our goals.”
Early mistakes on the field severely hindered the Dolphins’ efforts against Green Bay. A muffed punt by rookie Malik Washington within the game’s first five minutes allowed the Packers to score with ease from the 9-yard line. On their opening drive, Miami committed three penalties—two false starts and an unnecessary roughness call on tight end Jonnu Smith after a brief altercation with a Packers player.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa quickly found his team struggling, falling into a 14-point deficit before even throwing an incomplete pass, having completed his first nine attempts. Tagovailoa expressed frustration, noting, “We took strides forward but ended up regressing in the first half. We were committing pre-snap penalties—things we had been improving on. Our operation didn’t reflect the style of football we’ve been aiming for.”
Previously, Miami had significantly reduced their penalties, being flagged just eight times for 55 yards during their winning streak. However, against the Packers, they faced ten penalties totaling 75 yards.
“That’s a clear illustration of the issue,” McDaniel commented. “You can’t expect to revert to earlier tendencies and still achieve the same results.”
Despite the cold conditions at Lambeau Field, with temperatures at 27 degrees Fahrenheit (-2.7 Celsius) and a wind chill around 18 degrees, both McDaniel and Tagovailoa minimized the impact of weather on their performance. However, the Dolphins’ record dipped to an alarming 0-12 over their past 12 games played in temperatures of 40 degrees or lower.
Some teammates were more candid about their gameplay. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks stated bluntly, “I think we let the elements dictate our performance. Overall, I felt like we were soft.”
On a positive note, Tagovailoa, despite some shaky early throws, managed to rack up 365 passing yards and threw two touchdowns. Since his return from a concussion in Week 8, he has maintained a strong performance, achieving 13 passing touchdowns against just one interception in the past several weeks.
However, the run game continues to be a concern, as the Dolphins finished Thursday’s game with only 39 rushing yards, averaging a mere 2.8 yards per carry. This follows a trend of four consecutive games without surpassing the 100-yard mark on the ground—a critical area in need of improvement.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill shined, catching six of nine targets for 83 yards and scoring his fourth touchdown of the season, marking his highest yardage since Week 9. In contrast, the overall offensive unit faced criticism, with Tagovailoa admitting it struggled to maintain its previous level of success.
In terms of injuries, the Miami secondary took further hits, losing nickel corner Kader Kohou to a back injury and cornerback Cam Smith to a shoulder issue. Starting corner Kendall Fuller was already sidelined with a concussion for the third consecutive game, while Brooks—who had played every snap prior—sustained an injury in the third quarter.
Key statistics from the game included Miami’s struggle on third downs, converting only four of 14 attempts, a stark contrast to their previous five games where they ranked second in the league with a 55% success rate. Additionally, defensive stats revealed 20 missed tackles by the Dolphins, a crucial factor pointed out by defensive tackle Calais Campbell, who noted, “That’s where the game was lost; you can’t win with that many missed tackles.”
Looking ahead, the Dolphins will try to rebound when they host the struggling Jets (3-8) next Sunday, followed by another chance to prove themselves against a winning team when they travel to face the Texans (7-5) in Week 15.