Packers "upset" win over Dolphins leaves at least one more "meaningful" game on the schedule

 

Nobody on the Fox NFL pregame show thought that the Packers had a chance in hell of beating the Dolphins on the road, and after the game they had nothing but excuses to make for the result they had not foreseen—the kind of excuses that reveal the weaknesses of their main argument. The Dolphins had heading into this game lost three straight for a reason; Tua Tagovailoa had three turnovers including two key interceptions in a loss to the 49ers, completed just 10 of 28 passes against the Chargers, and then blew a lead in the fourth quarter against the Bills as the warm-weather Dolphins shivered in the snow.

The Packers meanwhile had won two in a row against admittedly bad teams, so it was a question of just how “bad” the Dolphins were at this point. Aaron Rodgers hadn’t exactly been playing like an MVP this season, and his passer rating in this game not only didn’t improve his season career low average, but was worse actually than Tagovailoa’s. An 84-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown, and another pass play for 52 yards not only helped the Dolphins open-up a 20-10 lead in the first half, but accounted for almost half of Tagovailoa’s passing yards and temporarily ballooned his own QB rating.

After that, the Dolphins’ offense fell apart; on their final five drives, a fumble, a missed field goal and three consecutive interceptions fell between were three field goals and an AJ Dillon rushing touchdown en route to a 26-20 defeat to the Packers.  After the game, the Fox NFL (now) postgame crew were flummoxed after building-up Tagovailoa as a “hot young stud” against an aging “former” stud quarterback. 

But they gave away some tidbits that might suggest Tagovailoa isn’t the stud they think he is; it was “admitted” that he was “short” and couldn’t see above the linemen to make short or medium range throws, which “explained” some really bad looking throws on the Dolphins’ final three drives which all ended on interceptions, including this head scratcher with 1:30 to play:

 

This indicates that there are serious deficiencies in his game, and that may explain why the Dolphins have now lost four games in a row and their playoff road not entirely settled yet with an 8-7 record.

Meanwhile, although if the 7-8 Packers win-out playing the Vikings and the Lions at home the final two games, they still will then need the Commanders to lose to the Cowboys to earn a playoff spot. Jimmy Johnson was dismissive of the possibility, but then who would have thought that the Giants, Commanders, Lions and the Seahawks would all lose on Saturday?

Still, the “odds” are against the Packers at this point. If the Commanders beat the Browns as they should do next week, that will put that much more pressure on the Packers to beat the Vikings, who are obviously the “class” of the NFC North this season; if they do lose to the Vikings, then the season will be over.