Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers apparently feels that the Miami Dolphins’ three-game losing streak comes at a great time for his team.
Rodgers and the 6-8 Packers are set to face the 8-6 Dolphins on Christmas Day at Hard Rock Stadium, with the veteran signal-caller taking note of the Dolphins’ current struggles.
“Maybe we’re catching them at a good time,” Rodgers said.
While Rodgers is expressing confidence about Sunday’s clash, it’s important to remember that each of the Dolphins’ losses in this streak has come on the road. In addition, all three of those defeats came against winning teams.
The first of those losses came against the San Francisco 49ers, with the Dolphins getting within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. In that 33-17 loss, the Miami defense only allowed two offensive touchdowns by the 49ers.
That was followed by a 23-17 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers in which the Dolphin defense again held their foes to two touchdowns. After that game, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was the subject of some criticism.
Last Saturday night’s 32-29 road loss at Buffalo was the most painful of the three. That’s because the Dolphins had a 29-21 lead with just under 12 minutes left in the game and lost the matchup on a game-ending field goal.
Another factor that Rodgers is most likely not considering is that the Dolphins are 5-1 this season at home. That one defeat, a 24-16 loss against the Minnesota Vikings came when Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson handed the quarterbacking duties for injured Tua Tagovailoa.
Playoff Pursuit
Despite Green Bay’s record, it’s still in the hunt for a playoff berth with three games left in the season. However, its path to the postseason requires a great deal more help than what the Dolphins would require.
For Miami, the goal of winning the AFC East now is virtually gone, with a wild-card berth the most likely path to the playoffs.
Green Bay is coming off a 24-12 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. That game was played under frigid conditions at Lambeau Field, weather conditions the Packers won’t have to deal with on Sunday.
Given the importance of Sunday’s game, the Dolphins are in a position to show if they’re a playoff-worthy team or if Rodgers’ opinion is valid. How the game turns out will help provide the answer.
