Thanksgiving Edition: Packers Week 13 Winners and Losers vs. the Dolphins

The Packers gave us a lot to be thankful for during their second straight Thanksgiving game.

I have to assume everyone ate dinner at noon yesterday, so they could knock out the food nap early and be alert by the time the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins faced off during the last game of Thanksgiving Day. For most of the game, the Packers dominated the Dolphins. In fact, after their second touchdown in the first quarter, the Packers would end up leading by double digits for the rest of the game. It was all winners in this standout 30-17 win. Let’s dive into it.

Winner: Pass Rush

Green Bay’s defense was getting after Tua Tagovailoa constantly last night, and it paid off. Five different players were credited with a sack: Quay Walker, JJ Enagbare, Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox, and Kenny Clark. The sacks by Van Ness and Enagbare came on back to back plays, and forced the Dolphins to punt, leading to another Green Bay touchdown on their next drive.

Van Ness has started to show flashes of being a starting-caliber pass rusher for the Packers, and Quay Walker has definitely put together a nice few weeks of consistent play. Can these guys keep it up as the Packers enter the final stretch of the season, in search of a Wild Card playoff spot?

Winner: Isaiah McDuffie

McDuffie had one of his best games of the season, and it came on a short week with just one day of limited practice due to an ankle injury. There was a moment during the Dolphins’ second drive of the game, when Tyreek Hill almost broke away and did Tyreek Hill things, but McDuffie was able to stop him for just a short gain.

Later, with the Dolphins trying to put together a scoring drive before the half, McDuffie had a HUGE hit on 3rd and 5 to force an incompletion. The Dolphins went for it on 4th down, and were unable to convert. The Packers offense then put together a 22-second FG drive just before halftime. This forced incompletion by McDuffie saved the Packers from a huge momentum swing. McDuffie finished the night with 10 total tackles (tied with Quay Walker for team-lead), one tackle for a loss, and a pass defensed. Great stuff last night by a mostly under-the-radar player.

Winner: Jayden Reed

Once again, Jayden Reed had himself a day. With Romeo Doubs out after suffering a concussion on Sunday, both Reed and Christian Watson seemed poised for some big moments. Big moments, they were. Reed finished the first half with two catches, both of them being touchdowns. He had just one catch in the second half, but finishing a game with 3 catches for 24 yards and 2 TDs is…not bad (and arguably hilarious). Reed also had a big run for 23 yards which absolutely electrified everyone in the stadium.

Winner: Matt LaFleur

Matt LaFleur put on an absolute masterclass last night, especially during the team’s final drive of the first half. Jordan Love and the offense had just 22 seconds to work their magic, and it resulted in three more points. After years of fans screaming “FREE AARON JONES!”, LaFleur has been having some fun working Josh Jacobs into the offense, and the run game has been completely reinvigorated. The Packers are on pace to have their first 1,300+ yard rusher since Ahman Green rushed for 1,883 yards in 2003. LaFleur hasn’t just been a good head coach; he’s been historically good.

In 2022, LaFleur was signed to a contract extension, which certainly won’t be his last. What he’s done with the 2024 Packers (um, Malik Willis???) should definitely have him in COTY conversations. With news breaking today that the Bears fired their fourth HC in 11 years, it’s a reminder of how much the Packers absolutely nailed the hiring of LaFleur.

Winner: Christian Watson

It was absolutely no surprise to see Christian Watson bounce back so quickly after a brutal dropped pass on Sunday. With Romeo Doubs out, and the Dolphins missing some key players in their secondary, Watson had to have a big game. The result: 2 catches for 67 yards, including this beauty of a 46 yard play. Watson was the showstopper in the receiving room last Thanksgiving, and he gave us a couple of great moments yesterday.

Winner: Jordan Love

If anyone’s tired of me talking about the Toyotathon Phenomenon, TOO BAD. On a short week, Love looked absolutely great. He finished the day 21 of 28 for 274 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, and 0 sacks taken. The last few weeks, he’s looked incredibly calm under pressure, which is what we saw last season as the Packers went on their late-season run.

Any traces of injury Love suffered this season are completely gone, and he looks like his normal self again. The risky throws are still there, but they look a lot cleaner, which makes them a little more fun.

PLUS: JORDAN GOT HIS TURKEY LEG. HOFer and beloved Packer LeRoy Butler prepared the winning Thanksgiving Day feast, and actually demanded that Love get two legs to make up for last year. Thanksgiving 2.0 turned out to be a success.

The Packers do not get an extended break, as they have another Thursday night game to prepare for. This one may be the biggest game of the season for them: a trip to Detroit to face off against the 11-1 Lions. The Packers are 4-1 in away games, and the Lions are 5-1 at home. With the division still in play here, a Packers win would be an absolute game changer. Can they pull off (I can’t believe I’m saying this) an upset against Detroit?