GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa traveled to Lambeau Field with the Miami Dolphins to take on the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving night, posting a strong record in the cold. I hope to continue.
Tagovailoa has thrown a total of seven touchdown passes with no interceptions in his last two games, at home against Las Vegas and against New England. That pace may be difficult to maintain in Green Bay. The forecast for Thanksgiving calls for highs in the 30s and lows in the mid-20s.
According to Sportradar, the Dolphins have lost the last 11 regular season or postseason games in which kickoff temperatures were below 40 degrees. The Dolphins’ most recent win in a game with kickoff temperatures below 40 degrees was a 34-31 overtime victory over Buffalo on Dec. 24, 2016.
“It’s definitely not 80 degrees, which is the temperature that other cold teams play in Miami,” said Tagovailoa, who grew up in Hawaii and attended college at Alabama. “Sometimes we’re down to 50 points, but we’re not as good as teams that have been winning for a long time. To me, it’s just a mindset, and that’s really what it’s all about.”
Tagovailoa is already facing an even worse situation.
Last season, he went 20-of-39 for 199 yards, one interception and one touchdown as the Dolphins lost 26-7 in a playoff game in Kansas City. The temperature at kickoff was -4 degrees Celsius, and the wind chill was -27 degrees Celsius. Tagovailoa wore a glove on his right hand that night, but said he likely won’t do so Thursday.
“I think for a lot of our players who were able to play in the game last time against Kansas City, it gave them a different perspective on what cold really means,” Tagovailoa said.
The Dolphins (5 wins, 6 losses) are aiming for their fourth straight win. The Packers (8-3) have won their last two games, including a 38-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
It will be the first time the Dolphins have faced the Packers since Christmas Day 2002, when Tagovailoa had three interceptions in the fourth quarter. Green Bay won the game 26-20, but it was later revealed that Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during the game.
The Packers know they will face a big challenge Thursday involving him and the Dolphins’ speedy receivers. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tagovailoa throws with anticipation and is “the best in this league.”
“When the ball comes out as fast as he does and he gets the ball on the money, it gives guys an opportunity to chase the catch,” LaFleur said. “And we all know their speed, which is probably unlike any other team in the National Football League.”
familiar face
Tagovailoa remembers how competitive practices were at Alabama with former college teammates Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney. Jacobs, a running back, and McKinney, a safety, are with the Packers.
“It was a fun practice,” Tagovailoa said. “Being able to compete against those guys, I know what ‘X’ gets out of me and I know exactly what he brings to the table.”
McKinnie is tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions this season. Jacobs entered Week 13 with 944 yards, which ranks third in the NFL.
Another Thanksgiving mission
This will be the second year in a row that the Packers will play on Thanksgiving following Sunday’s game. They hope to match last year’s success, a 29-22 win over Detroit four days after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers at home.
“We know what we have to do,” Packers offensive tackle Rasheed Walker said. “He’s doing a lot of mental reps, so he’ll be able to play well on Thursday.”
productive tight end
Miami’s Jonnu Smith has 15 catches for 188 yards and three touchdowns over the past two games.
During Miami’s three-game winning streak, Smith had more catches (18) than Miami’s two top receivers last season, Tyreek Hill (15 catches on 18 targets) and Jaylen Waddle (13 catches on 18 targets). Target (23) is recorded.
The Packers have their own quality tight end in Tucker Craft, who scored his sixth touchdown of the season on Sunday.
lafleur milestone
Green Bay’s win over the 49ers improved LaFleur’s regular season record to 64-30. He tied Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid for the second-most wins by a head coach in his first six NFL seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
This record belongs to George Seifert, who went 75-21 in the regular season in his first six seasons as the 49ers’ coach from 1989 to 1994.
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