GREEN BAY, Wis. – Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is eager to prolong his impressive performance as the Miami Dolphins head to Lambeau Field for a Thanksgiving night showdown against the Green Bay Packers.
In his previous two outings, Tagovailoa recorded a total of seven touchdown passes with no interceptions, leading the Dolphins to home victories over the Las Vegas Raiders and the New England Patriots. However, he may face a challenging environment in Green Bay, where the expected temperatures for Thanksgiving are set to hover in the 30s, with lows dipping into the mid-20s.
Historically, the Dolphins have struggled in colder conditions, suffering losses in their last 11 games—both regular season and playoff—when the kickoff temperatures fell below 40 degrees. The last time they triumphed in such a scenario was back on December 24, 2016, with a close 34-31 overtime victory at Buffalo.
“We’re obviously nowhere near the temperatures where all these other cold teams play at being in Miami, where it’s 80,” Tagovailoa remarked, having grown up in the warm climate of Hawaii and later attending college in Alabama. “Sometimes it gets down to 50, but it just gets nowhere near the teams that make it in long stretches. To me it’s just a mindset, that’s really all it is.”
The quarterback has experience handling challenging weather, having faced significantly colder temperatures last season during a playoff game against Kansas City, where it was minus-4 degrees at kickoff and a brutal wind chill of minus-27. In that match, Tagovailoa completed 20 passes on 39 attempts for 199 yards, securing one touchdown and throwing one interception while wearing a glove on his right hand—a practice he may not continue on Thursday.
“We gained a better perspective of what cold really is from that game,” Tagovailoa noted, as the Dolphins (5-6) look to claim their fourth consecutive victory. In contrast, the Packers (8-3) are riding a two-game winning streak, which was highlighted by a commanding 38-10 victory against the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday.
This matchup marks the first time since Christmas Day 2002 that the Dolphins have played against the Packers; during that game, Tagovailoa threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter, leading to a 26-20 loss for Miami. It was later discovered that Tagovailoa had suffered a concussion during that game.
The Packers are well aware of the challenge Tagovailoa poses alongside the fast receivers in Miami. Head coach Matt LaFleur has praised Tagovailoa, stating he is “as good as it gets in this league” when it comes to throwing with anticipation.
“When the ball’s coming out as quick as it does with him and he puts it on the money, it gives those guys the opportunity to run after the catch,” LaFleur noted. “And we all know the speed that these guys have — it’s unlike probably any team in the National Football League.”
Tagovailoa recalls his intense practice sessions at Alabama with former teammates Josh Jacobs, a running back, and Xavier McKinney, a safety, both of whom are now with the Packers.
“Those were fun practices,” he shared. “Going against those guys, I know ‘X’ knows what he’s going to get out of me, and I know exactly what he’s going to bring to the table, too.”
McKinney leads the NFL with seven interceptions this season, while Jacobs ranks third with 944 rushing yards entering Week 13.
This matchup will be the second consecutive year the Packers have played on Thanksgiving after a Sunday game, aiming to replicate the success of last year when they edged the Detroit Lions 29-22 following a previous win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
“We know what we have to do,” said Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker. “Just from us getting a whole bunch of mental reps, we’re going to come out and play fast on Thursday.”
On the Dolphins’ side, tight end Jonnu Smith has made a significant impact lately, accumulating 188 receiving yards on 15 receptions along with three touchdown catches in the past two games.
Over Miami’s three-game winning streak, Smith has more receptions and targets than Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Miami’s two leading receivers from last season. Meanwhile, the Packers are also benefiting from their standout tight end in Tucker Kraft, who added his sixth touchdown of the season last Sunday.
In addition, Green Bay’s recent win against the 49ers has elevated LaFleur’s regular-season record to an impressive 64-30. This achievement ties him with notable coaches such as Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren, and Andy Reid for the second-highest win total by a head coach in their first six NFL seasons, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
The record for most wins in the first six seasons is held by George Seifert, who managed a remarkable 75-21 mark with the San Francisco 49ers from 1989 to 1994.