Thanksgiving advance: Dolphins have struggled in chilly waters

Mike McDaniel joked on Tuesday that he’s keeping ice cubes in his pockets and occasionally pelting his players. The problem for McDaniel and the Dolphins isn’t that ice cubes generally melt in 79-degree temperatures. The problem is that in games Week 13 and later, Miami is just 4-8 since McDaniel took the Dolphins’ reins in 2022. In the AFC, only the Jets and Titans have been worse in that period.

Cold-weather losses is another trend the Dolphins (5-6) can reverse when they square off against the Packers (8-3) in the final game of the John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). Miami hasn’t won a game with kickoff temperatures 41 degrees and below since Christmas Eve of 2016. The Dolphins have lost 12 straight games in those conditions entering their trip to Lambeau Field, where forecasts call for 19-degree temperatures and slight chance of snow.

Heat, however, is something the Dolphins can use to their advantage. Heat, as in how well Miami’s defense is playing.

“The Dolphins’ defense is just as hot as the Dolphins’ offense,” said Dan Orlovsky on Tuesday’s edition of NFL Live. “And the way Anthony Weaver, their defensive coordinator, is using their front and some of those simulated pressures, No. 1, you better block Zach Sieler. In the run game, he is an absolute, destructive force. He’s blowing up plays and allowing everybody to fly to the football. I think the second thing is, if you single block him in pass protection, you better make sure that you can win that one-on-one matchup because he is hunting quarterbacks.”

Sieler, rookie Chop Robinson and 17^th-year veteran Calais Campbell have combined in Weaver’s scheme to dominate offensive tackles over Miami’s three-game winning streak. Only Denver (13) and Houston (13) have more sacks in the NFL over the last three weeks than Miami (11). Orlovsky thinks that defensive front could give Tua Tagovailoa the assist he needs.

“On the road, Tua, cold weather, can he get it done? I think the defense gives them a chance to hang in that game,” Orlovsky said.

Green Bay hopes Jordan Love doesn’t give that defense any help, either. In last week’s 38-10 win over San Francisco, Love finished without throwing an interception for the first time in nine starts this season.

They Love Thanksgiving: Last year on Thanksgiving, Love (three touchdown passes) and linebacker Rashan Gary (three sacks) led Green Bay to a 29-22 upset at Detroit. If Love throws three more touchdown passes against the Dolphins, he’d become the first quarterback since Tom Brady (2010 and 2012) with three-or-more TD passes in consecutive Thanksgiving games.

Elite company: Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs (944 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns) is the fourth player this century to reach 800 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in each of his first six NFL seasons. He joined Ezekiel Elliott, Adrian Peterson and Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson.

For more information on the Dolphins and Packers, visit the Miami and Green Bay team pages at ProFootballPost.com.