Green Bay remains on Lions’ heels by ending Miami’s win streak at three.
— Hours after the Green Bay Packers watched the Chicago Bears fail to give them any help when they botched the end of the early Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions, the Packers figured they’d better at least help themselves Thursday at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay handled business against the Miami Dolphins 30-17 in the finale of the three-game Thanksgiving Day slate and remained within shouting distance of the division-leading Lions (11-1). The Packers will still need help to catch Detroit, but they can start the process by winning at Ford Field in next Thursday night’s NFC North showdown.
They’re in much better form than they were in the Week 9 loss to the Lions at Lambeau Field. The Packers are coming off decisive wins over the San Francisco 49ers and Dolphins — the only two games this season in which quarterback Jordan Love has not thrown an interception. Without wide receiver Romeo Doubs (concussion) against the Dolphins, Love threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jayden Reed, and Green Bay added a rushing score by Josh Jacobs — his third straight game with a touchdown and his fifth rushing TD in those games.
Here’s what to know for both teams:
Pivotal play: It happened early, but the tone was set for the rest of the night when Packers backup quarterback Robert Rochell recovered a muffed punt by Miami’s Malik Washington inside his own 10-yard line. Instead the Dolphins getting the ball after a three-and-out by the Packers on the first drive of the game, Love got the ball back and threw the first of his two touchdown passes to Reed, and the Packers never looked back.
Most surprising performance: Maybe the Packers have a pass rush they can count on after all. At least they could for a time during the second quarter when it was still a 14-3 lead. That’s when Lukas Van Ness got home and sacked Tua Tagovailoa on second down, and then Kingsley Enagbare sacked him on third to force a punt.
