Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa Still Can't Win in Cold Weather
The Miami Dolphins looked like turkeys in primetime, unable to quash the outright fact that they can't win in cold-weather games.
On Thanksgiving, Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins fell to the Green Bay Packers, 30-17, in a marquee matchup that was about as exciting as cranberry sauce on the dinner spread.
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 28: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins throws a pass against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of the game at Lambeau Field on November 28, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Not much.
Tua, Dolphins Can't Beat Good Teams in Cold Weather; It's a Fact!
To be fair, Tagovailoa wasn't shabby.
He threw for 365 yards (37-of-46) and two touchdowns, but couldn't get the long ball working against a hawkish Packers secondary.
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 28: Jordan Love #10 and Josh Jacobs #8 of the Green Bay Packers walk off the field with turkey after defeating the Miami Dolphins 30-17 at Lambeau Field on November 28, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
On an offense with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the deep ball should be a regular success. But Miami could not break through the second layer of the defense.
As much as the deep ball was an issue for Miami, their bread and butter, it was the stuffing of the run game that left the Dolphins offense sputtering and never fully turning on.
The Packers defense limited the Dolphins' rushing to 14 carries for 39 yards (2.8 yards per rush).
Wanting to break through into the top tier of NFC contenders like the Lions, Eagles and Vikings, the Green Bay Packers showed that their young roster is maintaining a late-season focus, which elevates Matt LeFleur's team to prime contention.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love played efficiently, completing 21 of 28 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Jacobs added 23 touches for 117 yards and a touchdown.
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 28: Jayden Reed #11 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter of the game at Lambeau Field on November 28, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
But the most glaring narrative from this Thursday night game is Tua, coach Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins' inability to win games in cold weather.
If it's 50 degrees or lower at their game, Tua and the Dolphins (accustomed to the fair weather in South Beach) tend to perform poorly and lose.
The narrative also piggybacks a storyline from the 2023 season when Tua couldn't beat teams over .500, period.
"I'm excited to kill narratives," Tagovailoa said to reporters before Thanksgiving's game. "Let's go. Bring it on."
Well, Tua is now 0-5 in games where the temps are below 45 degrees. The narrative lives on! Tagovailoa's completion drops 14 percent lower in cold-weather temperatures, and he's had more turnovers than touchdowns in the majority of those matchups.
Miami dropped to 5-7, while Green Bay improved to 9-3.
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