The Miami Dolphins’ struggles in cold weather continued on Thursday night, as they were thumped 30-17 by the Green Bay Packers in chilly Wisconsin conditions. With temperatures hovering in the mid-20s, the Dolphins defense in particular had a rough outing, missing a staggering 20 tackles that directly led to an extra 132 yards for the Packers offense.
“I thought we were soft” – Brooks Blasts Cold Weather Performance
Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks didn’t mince words after the game when assessing his team’s effort in the bitter cold. “I thought we were soft,” Brooks bluntly stated. “I don’t know if guys was too cold…I don’t know what it was. I feel like the elements played a part in how we played as a group, and that was the result that we got.”
Miami had been riding a streak of five straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. But that came to a screeching halt in the frigid confines of Lambeau Field, as the Packers gashed them for 108 rushing yards in the first half alone. The Dolphins also uncharacteristically failed to generate a single turnover.
Defensive Breakdown
Veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell visibly cringed when informed of the ghastly missed tackles total after the game:
“That’s the game right there, man. Twenty missed tackles – it’s hard to win. I think it was one of those days where what could go wrong, went wrong. I don’t ever want to make excuses, but I felt like today, the ball bounced their way and they made the plays to win the ball game. When we had our opportunities to make tackles in critical spaces, we have to find a way.”
Miami’s defense was on its heels right from the opening kickoff, when rookie returner Malik Washington muffed a punt, setting up the Packers at the 7-yard line. Green Bay punched it in three plays later and never looked back. While that early gaffe was deflating, Campbell noted the defense also failed to limit the damage to a field goal.
Offensive Woes
The Dolphins’ offense didn’t fare much better in the adverse conditions. Miami converted just 4 of 14 third down attempts and sputtered in the red zone. On a pivotal goal-to-go sequence starting at the 1-yard line, the Dolphins came up empty after two runs and two passes.
Head coach Mike McDaniel took the blame for the unsuccessful play calls close to the goal line, calling it “a collection of things over a four-play span that will be tough for us to swallow when we watch film.”
Playoff Implications
At 5-7, the loss drops Miami two games behind the Denver Broncos for the final AFC playoff spot with five games to play. Barring a complete Broncos collapse, the Dolphins will likely have to win out and get some help to sneak into the postseason for a third consecutive year.
While quarterback Tua Tagovailoa isn’t giving up on their playoff aspirations yet, the path is an arduous one, especially with cold weather games against the Browns and Jets still looming in Weeks 16 and 17.
Losing seven straight games in sub-freezing temperatures is a concerning trend the Dolphins must reverse quickly to salvage their season. As Campbell alluded to, they’ll need to “find a way” to make big plays in big moments, regardless of the conditions. Or else their once promising campaign will go down as another disappointing footnote in the team’s inglorious history of coming up short in the cold.
