Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love played interception-free football for the first time this season during a home rout of the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
The Packers’ Thanksgiving night home clash with the Miami Dolphins offers a chance to be equally efficient. Just don’t expect Love to scale back his approach in the meeting of playoff contenders.
“I definitely am a guy who always wants those big plays, want to put that pressure on the defense and take some of those shots,” Love said.
Love threw for a season-low 163 yards on 13-of-23 passing to go with two touchdowns against the 49ers. Still, with Josh Jacobs (26 carries, 106 yards, three touchdowns) wreaking havoc in the running game, Love found opportunities to strike a balance.
“Those are the lessons that I had to learn last year and I’ll continue to learn: just when the right time (is) to take those shots,” he said. “If guys get a step or we’re in the right coverage versus just finding those completions. Because these check-downs and just finding those completions turn into big plays, as well, sometimes.”
Green Bay (8-3) is third in the rugged NFC North but holds a two-game lead in the loss column for the No. 6 seed in the conference playoff race.
Winners of three straight, the Dolphins (5-6) are 1 1/2 games behind the Denver Broncos for the seventh seed in the AFC.
“I think this is an awesome opportunity,” Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “Being able to play Thursday night football, prime time on Thanksgiving.”
Tagovailoa continues to surge since returning from injured reserve in Week 8. With four touchdown passes during a 34-15 home win against the New England Patriots on Sunday, he has 11 TDs through the air against just one interception in his five games back.
Tagovailoa dismissed the notion that chilly temperatures in Green Bay on Thursday could be enough to cool him. The Hawaiian-born signal-caller is 0-7 when the temperature is 40 degrees or lower.
“To me, it’s just a mindset,” he said. “That’s really all there is.”
Added Miami defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver: “I’ve never lost a game and thought, ‘Guys, it was too cold outside.'”
Miami boasts a versatile set of playmakers for Green Bay to defend. Running back De’Von Achane also is active in the passing game, as he made two touchdown receptions against New England.
Among the Dolphins’ receivers, wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and tight end Jonnu Smith each have at least 41 receptions and 535 yards. The three have combined for nine TDs.
Green Bay is hoping for another jolt from second-year linebacker Lukas Van Ness, whose strip-sack against the 49ers was the big play he said he needed for his confidence. It led to Jacobs’ third TD.
“I told myself I’m going to get off the ball, use my God-given abilities and just get in the backfield and make a play,” Van Ness said. “So I think that’s what I’ve wanted to do all year. I just need to continue that.”
Miami leads the all-time series 10-6, but Green Bay has won five of the past six matchups. The teams’ most recent meeting also came on a holiday, with the visiting Packers prevailing 26-20 on Christmas Day 2022.
Green Bay won each of its previous November home games against Miami, in 2002 and 2018.
–Field Level Media