The Green Bay Packers got a sleigh-full of help from teams around the NFC on Christmas Eve, but now Matt LaFleur’s team must make sure the gift doesn’t turn to coal when the Packers face the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
Produce a win, and the once-cloudy pathway to the postseason suddenly looks brighter than Rudolph’s nose. Lose, and the dream will crash faster than Santa shoots down the chimney.
It’s Packers-Dolphins on Christmas Day. Either the Packers are going to begin down a legitimate playoff path or see the season end in Miami. Here are our final thoughts and a prediction.
Final thoughts
– The Packers should be full of motivation and incentive after watching the Seahawks, Lions, Giants and Commanders all lose on Christmas Eve. Everything is falling Green Bay’s way, and winning out would look much more reasonable if the Packers can escape Miami with a victory. A 3-0 finish is going to make it quite likely that the Packers are playing postseason football.
– The Dolphins struggle to protect the passer. Preston Smith, Kenny Clark and the rest of the Packers’ pass-rush need to be disruptive all afternoon.
– Can the Packers use press-man coverage to disrupt the Dolphins passing game? The goal should be making Tua hold the ball longer than he wants.
– Do the Packers want to turn this into a track meet? Christian Watson would be up to the task as a big-play producer. More than likely, the Packers will attempt to control the football and wear down the Dolphins with the ground game.
– The Dolphins pass rush could be a huge issue. It’s deep and talented and has disruptors on the edge and inside. The Packers offensive line –without David Bakhtiari – is in for a big-time battle.
– You can bet Mike McDaniel has been licking his chops all week watching the Packers run defense. Few in the game know how to draw up the run game better than McDaniel, who was one of the architects in San Francisco. The Packers need to play physical up front and fit the run perfectly or Raheem Mostert is going to run wild.
– The Dolphins are giving up the most yards per kickoff return in the NFL this season, while Keisean Nixon has been the best returner in football over the last two months. Could the touchdown return be coming?
Prediction
Joe Barry’s defense stood tall against the Bears and Rams, but don’t be fooled. This is a middling group that simply took advantage of two of the worst offenses in football. The Dolphins are one of the best, especially at creating the explosive play, and Mike McDaniel is smart and creative as a play-designer. There’s no confidence here in Barry and the Packers being able to prevent the big plays, and the Dolphins can score a lot of points in a hurry if Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert are consistently creating chunk gains. The Packers should score, but can they score enough to win in Miami? The guess here is no. When push comes to shove, Barry’s disappointing defense will write the final chapter of this mostly disappointing season.
Prediction: Dolphins 37, Packers 28 (7-7)
