Last week, the Green Bay Packers run game cranked up a notch, partially thanks to a depleted 49ers front. Former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs gained 100-plus yards and 3 touchdowns in a dominant win over their arch-rivals and set the tone for the Packers offense heading into their Thanksgiving matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
With Green Bay undergoing a short week with limited rest and less time to game plan, can Jacobs continue his stellar performance against a distinguished Dolphins run defense?
Packers’ Josh Jacobs in for Challenge Against Dolphins on Thanksgiving
Recent Success of Packers RB Josh Jacobs Key
Two words explain why the Packers are 8-3 heading into Week 13: Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs is third in the league in rushing yards, fourth in rushing yards per game, and is 56 yards away from his fourth career 1,000-yard season. Six of his seven touchdowns on the year have occurred in the last four games, the most by any rusher in that span. Jacobs has also been the key component in the offense’s 80% touchdown rate in the red zone the last two games.
In other words, Jacobs has shown why he deserves to be in the conversation amongst elite running backs in the league. He has become the undisputed primary weapon that head coach Matt LaFleur looks to when the Packers need 6. Teams have struggled to find an answer to his sheer explosiveness out of the backfield and his unreal tackle-breaking ability.
Packers Running Back Against The 49ers
Last week, Jacobs carried 26 times, which was the most carries he has had all season with Jordan Love as the starter. As a result of the slight increase in workload, and a possible decrease in fluid intake, Jacobs began to cramp late in drives. While this is not a major concern and he was able to score twice amidst the lack of potassium, LaFleur has expressed his confidence in backups Emmanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks to perform well in those kinds of late-drive situations.
With colder conditions to prepare for at Lambeau, fewer days to recover, and LaFleur leaning towards utilizing the committee at running back, Jacobs may face challenges getting going early. Yet, that will mostly stem from the success that Miami’s front has conveyed recently.
Dolphins Run Defense
Over the last three games, Miami’s defense has seemed to find its mojo alongside the offense getting their franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa back from injury. Although the offense and Tagovailoa’s play are nothing to gloss over, the defensive front for the Dolphins should be credited just as much for the team’s three-game win streak.
During that span, Miami is fifth in the league in rushing yards allowed (72.0), notably limiting Kyren Williams to his third-lowest total in a game this season. Calais Campbell and Zach Sieler, the defensive tackle duo in Miami, drive much of this success by leading the team in tackles for loss and clogging up inside runs.
Campbell and Sieler are going to need to make a statement in Green Bay’s early attempts to get the run game going. In doing so, the pass game will be difficult to open up and Love will have to rely on his arm and make smart decisions with the football against Jalen Ramsey and company.
Outside Factors
With the game predicted to take place in a snowy climate and with temperatures reaching a low of 23 degrees, Green Bay already finds itself at an extreme advantage over the Dolphins, who will be starting a quarterback who has yet to win a game in below 40-degree weather. In the case of heavy snow, expect a lot out of the ground game from all three Packers running backs quite a bit in the first extra interconference game on Thanksgiving in NFL history.
Who Earns The Turkey Leg?
This game will be heavily decided on who can set the tone early and consistently execute, which is something Green Bay has struggled with until last week. With the run game looking polished and LaFleur looking to get everyone involved, look for Wilson to contribute massively on the ground and get in the end zone on turkey day.
Main Photo: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
