Dolphins-Packers 2024 Week 13 Instant Takeaways

The Miami Dolphins again came up way short in a big spot

Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks (30) rushes with the football during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

What stood out in the Miami Dolphins Week 13 game against the Green Bay Packers:

We'll start with the inactive list, which featured cornerback Kendall Fuller (concussion) and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (hamstring) as the two players to miss the game because of injuries. Rookie free agent Andrew Meyer was active for the first time this season, while rookie linebacker Mohamed Kamara was active for the second time.

The Dolphins did not have an emergency third quarterback for a fifth consecutive game.

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GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

Guess we have to start with the obvious, which is that the Dolphins again failed to step up against quality competition on the road in prime time.

We can give the Dolphins points for making a valiant comeback effort after being down 27-3, but it was too little too late.

This was a game where the defense didn't come up big as it had in previous games against weaker opponents like the Raiders and Patriots, and recent standouts Calais Campbell and Chop Robinson were hardly noticeable.

Tua Tagovailoa's final numbers will look a whole better than his performance actually would suggest, though he gets props like the rest of the team for picking up his game in the third quarter. But the first half was rough.

The running game again was missing in action, and it really would have come in handy in this game.

The Dolphins got hit by injuries in the secondary, with Kader Kohou and Cam Smith both leaving the game, but it was Walker who the Dolphins really missed in this game.

FIRST QUARTER

-- We mentioned in our biggest storylines the need to keep Keisean Nixon from getting a long kickoff return, so it was pretty disappointing that he opened the game with a 43-yard return.

-- Impressive first defensive series ends with a three-and-out, but is spoiled when rookie Malik Washington muffs the punt after he appeared shaky on it the whole way. That led to a quick Packers touchdown and an early 7-0 deficit for the Dolphins.

-- The Dolphins' first drive set a tone for sloppiness, and it was Jonnu Smith who was the main culprit. After committing a false start, he got involved in a tussle with a Green Bay defender and responded to a shove in the chest by slapping the opponent's face, which earned him a 15-yard roughness penalty.

-- And then there was a reverse inside handoff to De'Von Achane that got blown up by Green Bay penetration and ended with Tua fumbling and getting dropped for a 3-yard loss.

-- The next Green Bay drive was depressing for the defense, which gave up 46 rushing yards. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson had a very tough time on that drive, getting either easily blocked out and getting caught out of position.

SECOND QUARTER

-- The Dolphins' first field goal drive was a pretty good one for fullback Alec Ingold, who had catches of 2 and 13 yards followed by a nice lead block on a 13-yard run by De'Von Achane. This obviously was a big game for Ingold, who grew up in Green Bay and attended the University of Wisconsin.

-- Mike McDaniel made absolutely the right call in going for the first down on fourth-and-4 from the Green Bay 25 and the Dolphins converted when Tua found Jaylen Waddle for 16 yards after getting great pass protection.

-- The drive stalled, though, when the Packers stayed in their lanes on an end-around to De'Von Achane that wound up losing 6 yards.

-- Down 14-3, the Dolphins got a stop defensively but then had to punt it away when Tua was sacked on second and third down. Terron Armstead looked like the offensive lineman beaten on both plays, though the first came when Tua stepped up in the pocket and the second where there appeared to be a miscommunication at the line.

-- The Dolphins had a chance to cut into Green Bay's 21-3 lead before the half, but Tagovailoa had a very poor series, including a pass too high for Achane on fourth-and-5 from the Green Bay 38.

-- Making matters worse was the Dolphins allowing a field goal to make it 27-3 at the half.

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THIRD QUARTER

-- A three-and-out clearly wasn't the way the Dolphins needed to start the second half.

-- Storm Duck was beaten deep, and pretty easily, by Christian Watson for the 46-yard completion that set up the field goal that made it 27-3.

-- The Dolphins finally found some life offensively with thier patented inside throws and it produced a touchdown drive, followed by a two-point conversion on a nice catch by Jaylen Waddle.

-- The Dolphins got a big stop defensively on the next series when they sold out against the run on third-and-1 from the Green Bay 49 and Benito Jones stuffed Josh Jacobs for a 2-yard loss.

-- The third quarter ended with the Dolphins having some life with a second-and-7 from their 34 down 27-11.

FOURTH QUARTER

-- The Dolphins got their first pass play of 20 or more yards when Tua hit Tyreek Hill over the middle.

-- The Dolphins' comeback hopes ended on that drive, though, and once again it came down to their inablity to get physical near the goal line.

-- An 8-yard run by Achane gave Miami a second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, but he was stuffed on second down, quick pressure busted a third-down pass to Jonnu Smith off a rollout and on fourth-and-goal from the 1 Tua couldn't find somebody open right away and the pressure quickly got to him for a sack.

-- And if the game wasn't over then, it was over when Josh Jacobs caught a short pass from Jordan Love, shook off a tackle attempt by Jordyn Brooks and faked out Tyrel Dodson in the open field on his way to a 49-yard field goal that made it 30-11.

-- The Dolphins didn't give up and came back with a fire-quick 67-yard touchdown drive, highlighted by a 30-yard completion to Tyreek Hill, but as things go in the NFL in 2024, the declared onside kick that followed easily was recovered by the Packers.