Packer Central

Live Updates: Green Bay Packers at Miami Dolphins

The Green Bay Packers (6-8) are facing the Miami Dolphins (8-6) on Christmas Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Follow along all day for updates.

Bill Huber

In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers (6-8) and Miami Dolphins (8-6) will exchange touchdowns and hard hits on Christmas in South Florida. Follow along for all the scoring, injury and statistical updates from this must-win game.

Final Score

Packers 26, Dolphins 20

Here is our game story, game ball, the playoff picture and more.

Fourth Quarter

Packers 26, Dolphins 20 (1:27 remaining)

Tua Tagovailoa just threw one right to Rasul Douglas, who jumped off Tyreek Hill and in front of Mike Gesicki for the clinching interception. With the Dolphins out of timeouts, the game is over.

Packers 26, Dolphins 20 (1:56 remaining)

Mason Crosby’s 26-yard field goal made it a six-point game, so Green Bay’s playoff hopes will rest on the shoulders of a defense that’s run hot and cold. Jaelan Phillips’ shoestring tackle of AJ Dillon was the difference between 26-20 and 30-20. Early in the drive, Romeo Doubs got open against star corner Xavien Howard for 22.

Packers 23, Dolphins 20 (6:02 remaining)

De’Vondre Campbell, this week’s NFLPA Community MVP, might be the Packers’ MVP. With the Dolphins in field-goal range, at worst, Campbell made a tremendous interception. The pass was intended for Raheem Mostert, who was streaking up the seam, but wasn’t looking.

Packers 23, Dolphins 20 (11:45 remaining)

Mason Crosby’s 28-yard field goal gave Green Bay the lead but it’s a huge victory for Miami. Jaire Alexander’s interception and return gave the Packers a first down at the 14. Jaelan Phillips’ roughing penalty gave the Packers a first down at the 7. But they couldn’t capitalize. Aaron Rodgers and AJ Dillon botched a second-down handoff and Allen Lazard lost 5 on a pass into the flat.

Packers 20, Dolphins 20 (13:59 remaining)

Aaron Rodgers giveth; Jaire Alexander taketh away. Tua Tagovailoa sailed one over Tyreek Hill and right to Jaire Alexander, whose interception and return gave the Packers the ball at Miami’s 14.

Packers 20, Dolphins 20 (14:08 remaining)

On third-and-15 following holding by fill-in right tackle Royce Newman, Aaron Rodgers went deep to Allen Lazard but was intercepted by Kader Kohou. Lazard couldn’t believe there wasn’t a flag for interference.

Third Quarter

Packers 20, Dolphins 20 (2:25 remaining)

Jason Sanders was wide right from 48 yards. The Dolphins converted a fourth-and-1 on a 9-run by Raheem Mostert – Kenny Clark was blown out of the hole – but couldn’t move the chains on third-and-8. Justin Hollins had immediate pressure and Devonte Wyatt’s pursuit forced a throwaway.

Injury update: WR Christian Watson (hip) is out, a huge loss for Green Bay as it tries to keep its season going over the next 17-plus minutes. Royce Newman will stay in at right tackle.

Packers 20, Dolphins 20 (7:53 remaining)

The Packers have tied the game on AJ Dillon’s 1-yard touchdown run. On fourth-and-1 from their 31, coach Matt LaFleur kept the offense on the field and Aaron Rodgers snuck for the first down. Next, on third-and-9, Rodgers checked the ball down to Patrick Taylor, who streaked up the sideline for 17. On the next play, Taylor’s blitz pick-up was just good enough for Rodgers to go deep to, obviously, tight end Marcedes Lewis for 31 to the 7. Dillon took Jaelan Phillips for a ride to the 1 before scoring.

Halftime

Dolphins 20, Packers 13

Wasted opportunities have the Packers trailing by seven at halftime. Keisean Nixon’s 93-yard kickoff return in the first quarter produced only a field goal, and Jarran Reeds’s forced fumble and recovery at midfield late in the first half resulted only in a field goal.

It is a lopsided offensive attack for Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers has thrown 22 passes. With two sacks and two scrambles, that’s 26 passing plays vs. only five runs by AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones.

Rodgers is 12-of-22 for 114 yards. Counterpart Tua Tagovailoa is 9-of-12 for 229 yards. That’s twice as many passing yards in about half as many attempts.

Injury updates: Royce Newman remains in at right tackle in place of Yosh Nijman (shoulder) and Romeo Doubs took the second-half kickoff in place of Keisean Nixon (groin). Plus, WR Christian Watson (hip) is questionable.

Second Quarter

Dolphins 20, Packers 13 (0:02 remaining)

Mason Crosby made a 46-yard field goal to make it a one-score game before halftime. On fourth-and-1, Rodgers faked the handoff to AJ Dillon for a blind bootleg, his back turned to the defense to accentuate the fake. Rodgers then whistled one to Christian Watson, who took a jarring blow by safety Eric Rowe for a 10-yard gain to the 30. The drive stalled, though. Rookie corner Kader Kohou broke up a first-down pass to Randall Cobb, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins batted down a pass on second down and Wilkins hustled to whack Romeo Doubs on a screen on third down.

Dolphins 20, Packers 10 (1:55 remaining)

Jarran Reed just made the biggest play of the game. Right when it looked like the Dolphins were poised to take total control, Jarran Reed stripped the ball from Raheem Mostert and recovered at Miami’s 49.

Dolphins 20, Packers 10 (2:40 remaining)

The Packers went three-and-out after Romeo Doubs foolishly returned the kickoff from 5 yards deep in the end zone. That’s bad but it could have been worse; Xavien Howard dropped an interception on an ill-advised deep shot by Aaron Rodgers on second-and-long. Miami will take possession at its 41.

Dolphins 20, Packers 10 (4:13 remaining)

Preston Smith’s sack saved the Packers’ bacon. On second-and-goal from the 8, he spun inside Brandon Shell and dropped Tua Tagovailoa for a loss of 10. Earlier in the drive, Jarran Reed had a sack but the Dolphins moved the chains on third-and-14.

Injury update: Keisean Nixon (groin) is questionable. He was on the injury report at the start of the week with that injury. Romeo Doubs will return the ensuing kickoff. Plus, Nixon is the team’s slot defender.

Royce Newman remains in at right tackle.

Dolphins 17, Packers 10 (9:17 remaining)

The Packers gambled with a fake punt on fourth-and-2. The middle of the formation was jammed, meaning Dallin Leavitt didn’t have a crack of space when he took the direct snap. Raekwon Davis was in the middle of the scrum and threw Leavitt backward. So, Miami will take over at Green Bay’s 20.

Dolphins 17, Packers 10 (10:52 remaining)

Moments after Aaron Rodgers missed a deep touchdown pass to Christian Watson, Tua Tagovailoa hit Tyreek Hill for 52 yards on a deep shot to set up a touchdown. Hill got deep between safeties Adrian Amos and Rudy Ford, and Tagovailoa’s pass was perfect. Hill caught the ball at the 3 and was tackled at the 1; Jeff Wilson cleaned up for the touchdown. After holding made it first-and-20, Rasul Douglas gambled and lost and tight end Mike Gesicki was wide open for 24.

Injury update: Packers RT Yosh Nijman (shoulder) is questionable. Royce Newman will be entering the game at right tackle.

Packers 10, Dolphins 10 (13:25 remaining)

Aaron Rodgers was furious at himself, and for good reason. On fourth-and-1 1/2, he had Christian Watson running one-on-one against undrafted rookie corner Kader Kohou with no deep help. Watson was open by a step but Rodgers threw the ball a couple yards too far, a touchdown off the board for Green Bay and good field position for the Dolphins, who will start at their 38. Two plays earlier, Allen Lazard dropped a pass that would have given Green Bay a first down at Miami’s 30.

First Quarter

Packers 10, Dolphins 10 (0:30 remaining)

Holding on Connor Williams vs. Dean Lowry and a bad shotgun snap by Williams made it third-and-21. The Dolphins opted for a receiver screen that Rasul Douglas destroyed to force a punt.

Injury update: Dolphins OLB Bradley Chubb (hand) is questionable.

Packers 10, Dolphins 10 (4:10 remaining)

Were the Dolphins going for the early jugular? Or terrified of Keisean Nixon. Either way, after Miami’s touchdown, Jason Sanders kicked a squib that hit off Green Bay’s front wall and Josiah Deguara recovered at the 46. Given a short field, Aaron Rodgers hit Allen Lazard for 11 and Christian Watson for 20 on quick posts. On third-and-8, Rodgers stepped inside of left guard Elgton Jenkins and scrambled for 12 to the 3. On fourth-and-goal from just outside the 1, Rodgers went play-action and had the Big Dog, Marcedes Lewis, wide open for the tying score. Lewis was one of four tight ends on the field.

Of Green Bay’s first 13 plays, four have gone to Watson. One was a jet sweep-style flip on first-and-goal at the 3 that lost 2; Watson got away with facemask. Another was on third-and-goal from the 5, with Rodgers throwing behind Watson and Watson making a stumbling catch to the 1.

Dolphins 10, Packers 3 (9:08 remaining)

Jaylen Waddle, who leads the NFL in yards per catch, took a crossing route 84 yards for a touchdown. Waddle outflanked Rasul Douglas on the route, got one block, avoided a tackle attempt by Jaire Alexander at the Green Bay 40 and was gone.

The play summarized all of defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s worries, with Waddle’s speed combined with bad tackling turning into disaster. “This team truly lives on the explosion play, and we’ve got to keep the ball inside and in front of us,” Barry said. “We’ve got to tackle better than we’ve tackled all year long. I think all those things go into eliminating the explosion play.”

Packers 3, Dolphins 3 (9:26 remaining)

Keisean Nixon returned the kickoff 93 yards, his league-leading fourth kickoff return of 50-plus yards and the team’s longest since Randall Cobb’s 101-yard touchdown in his NFL debut in 2011 against the Saints. He got blocks from Isaiah McDuffie and Patrick Taylor, among others, and stepped through one tackle before getting up the left sideline. That set up a first-and-goal at the 9. But the Packers managed only a 36-yard field goal by Mason Crosby. Aaron Rodgers took a horrible sack on second-and-goal at the 5. He might have Christian Watson on the run. Instead, he held the ball and was dropped at the 18. Romeo Doubs’ drop on third down probably didn’t matter.

Dolphins 3, Packers 0 (11:10 remaining)

Miami cruised right down the field for the opening score. Raheem Mostert gained 14 as Alec Ingold blocked Preston Smith and 17 when defensive linemen Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry were driven out of the hole. However, on third-and-3, Rasul Douglas had inside position and blanketed a deep shot to Tyreek Hill. Jason Sanders made a 46-yard field goal.

On the opening kickoff, Mason Crosby made it 256 consecutive games. That broke Brett Favre for the longest streak in franchise history and is tied with London Fletcher for fourth-longest in NFL history.

Pressure on Offensive Line

The Dolphins have a fierce defensive front, especially on passing downs. On third-and-long, Miami will roll with three outside linebackers – Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and Melvin Ingram – and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Phillips has seven sacks and Ingram has six. Total between Denver and Miami, Chubb has eight. Wilkins is a stud. No interior defensive lineman can beat his 81 tackles. He’s got 14 tackles for losses, seven more than any other Dolphins defender.

“Great with his hands,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “He does a good job staying square to the line of scrimmage and staying in good position to the blockers and sees the ball well. He’s able to two-gap and penetrate at the same time and really gets off blocks. He’s a very disruptive player.”

Tua vs. Rodgers

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers won NFL MVP honors in 2020 and 2021. This season, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa leads the league in passer rating.

Rodgers is a big fan.

“I watched a decent amount of his college career,” he said this week. “He played at a phenomenal school in the SEC and had a lot of success. I remember the night he went in at halftime in the national championship game and I think just like everybody else, you’re thinking, ‘What? Why?’ and then he obviously he showed his incredible ability and had a great career down there.

“He dealt with a couple head injuries this year, which are dangerous, but I enjoy the way that he plays. He plays on time. He throws the ball accurately. He does a nice job with his eye control for a young player. He obviously has good pocket movement and can extend plays. They’ve had a couple pretty incredible fourth-quarter comebacks this year where he’s been super-efficient. He has some great weapons, but I’ve been impressed with the way he plays. I like the way he handles himself, too. I think he handles himself with a lot of respect and class. And I think there’s a lot to be said for that for a young player.”

Packers-Dolphins Inactives

There were no surprises for either team on the pregame inactive lists.

For Green Bay, left tackle David Bakhtiari will miss a third consecutive game following an emergency appendectomy. He was listed as doubtful on Friday after not practicing all week.

The other inactives are outside linebacker Jonathan Garvin, who played his college ball at Miami, cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles, rookie defensive tackle Jonathan Ford and rookie offensive tackle Caleb Jones. Ford has been inactive for all 15 games.

For Miami, cornerback Noah Igbinoghene is inactive. A first-round pick in 2020, he’s started two games this season. Left tackle Terron Armstead is active, as are three defensive staters who were questionable: outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips and safety Eric Rowe.

Familiar Face: Alec Ingold

Miami fullback Alec Ingold grew up in suburban Green Bay and went to Bay Port High School. Formerly with the Raiders, he's started 12 games this season and has one touchdown run and one touchdown reception.

"It's going to be cool. I've never played on Christmas before," he told reporters this week. "But anytime you get to perform, strap it up with the boys, I think there's a lot of family for myself that will be there, a lot of family that's going to be opening Christmas presents by the tree or whatever.,

"So to be able to kind of be a part of their day when you're not physically there, to be able to give them some fun entertainment to watch, hopefully a lot of touchdowns and a good game, I think that's all you can ask for. That's the business we're in. It's really cool and it is a special opportunity. I don't think anybody's taking that responsibility lightly."

How to Watch: Packers vs. Dolphins

TV: Fox, with Joe Davis (play-by-play), Daryl Johnston (commentary) and Pam Oliver (sideline) on the call.

Live stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial).

Radio: Packers Radio Network (Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren; click here for affiliates), Westwood One (JP Shadrick and Derek Rackley) and Sirius (Channel 82 or 226 and on the SXM app).

Records: Packers, 6-8. Dolphins, 8-6.

Weather: It's scarf weather for Miami, with a kickoff temperature of 48. It will be the second-coldest home game in Dolphins history.

Dolphins Favored

Miami is a 3.5-point favorite at SI Sportsbook with an over/under of 49.5 points.

For individual over/unders: Aaron Jones, 54.5 rushing yards; AJ Dillon, 38.5 rushing yards; Tyreek Hill, 90.5 receiving yards; Jaylen Waddle, 64.5 receiving yards; Christian Watson, 55.5 receiving yards; Tua Tagovailoa, 262.5 passing yards; Aaron Rodgers, 251.5 passing yards.

A Perfect Christmas Eve

The four teams ahead of the Packers in the race for the final two playoff spots in the NFC lost on Saturday. A win by Green Bay over Miami would pull it to within a half-game of the Washington Commanders for the last spot.

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Packers-Dolphins final injury report

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Elgton Jenkins signs extension with Packers

Know the foe: Packers at Dolphins

Keisean Nixon makes returns seem like child’s play

Packers at Dolphins: Video preview

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Robert Tonyan should be impact player vs. Dolphins

Packers at Dolphins: How to watch, bet, stream

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.

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