Love, Packers use fast start to beat Dolphins, 30-17

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Jordan Love celebrated the Green Bay Packers’ victory on Thanksgiving by taking a bite out of a turkey leg and raising it in the air.

His feast was a long time coming.

Love led the Packers to a Thanksgiving Day triumph in Detroit last year but wasn’t given a turkey leg afterward, as is customary in these televised postgame interviews. His teammates vowed to make sure Love got a turkey leg this time, and he earned it by throwing two touchdown passes to Jayden Reed in a 30-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night.

“To be able to come in here, get the win, get the turkey leg after, it was very delicious,” said Love, who went 21 of 28 for 274 yards. “Just a little something to celebrate.”

Josh Jacobs brought a turkey platter into the locker room as Green Bay (9-3) commemorated a third straight victory. The Packers, who have won seven of their last eight games, built a 27-3 lead and made a goal-line stand to thwart a comeback attempt.

Miami (5-7) continued its recent history of struggling in cold weather. The kickoff temperature at Lambeau Field was 27 degrees (-2.7 Celsius) with 10 mph winds, light flurries and a wind chill of 18.

“I would say, from my standpoint and our team’s standpoint, we’re not going to use any of that as an excuse for why we didn’t get the start that we wanted,” said Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was 37 of 46 for 365 yards with two touchdowns despite getting sacked five times.

The Dolphins have lost their past 12 regular-season or postseason games in which the temperature at kickoff has been below 40 degrees (4.4 Celsius). The Dolphins’ most recent victory in a game with a kickoff temperature at 40 or lower was a 34-31 overtime triumph at Buffalo on Dec. 24, 2016.

Green Bay is playing three games in a 12-day stretch. The Packers beat the San Francisco 49ers 38-10 on Sunday and will visit the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions next Thursday night.

“I thought we played well for it being a short week,” Packers safety Xavier McKinney said. “I thought we came out there and had the right mindset. And we started fast, and that was the key to today’s win.”

Love and Reed connected on touchdown completions of 3 and 12 yards, Jacobs scored from 1 yard out and Brandon McManus kicked two field goals as Green Bay led 27-3 midway through the third quarter.

Miami tried to rally.

Tagovailoa’s 14-yard pass to De’Von Achane – and a 2-point conversion pass to Jaylen Waddle – cut Green Bay’s lead to 27-11 with 2:43 left in third. After Miami stopped Jacobs for a 2-yard loss on third-and-1 to force a punt, the Dolphins drove again and had second-and-goal at the 1 early in the fourth quarter.

“We fought hard,” Dolphins defensive lineman Calais Campbell said. “We have no quit in us. I really genuinely believed we were going to give ourselves a chance to win at the end.”