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The Packers are still alive.
The dolphins melt together.
Green Bay caught three interceptions ahead of Tua Tagovailoa and shut out the Dolphins in the second half to earn a 26-20 win in Miami on Christmas Day.
The Packers kicked a field goal 2:02 in the contest to move up six points, giving the Dolphins a chance to win the game with a two-minute drive.
But Tagovailoa and the Miami offense weren’t up to the task. He threw his third second-half interception on the second game of the drive. Tagovailoa apparently aimed a pass to the right touchline at Mike Gesicki, but the ball was nowhere near the end. Cornerback Rasul Douglas camped slightly under the pass to seal Green Bay’s win.
Tagovailoa was 9-of-12 passing for 229 yards with a touchdown at halftime. He finished 16 of 25 for 310 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions.
Despite having 376 total yards, Miami was only 2 of 7 in third place. Jaylen Waddle had five catches for 143 yards, including an 84-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Tyreek Hill had four catches for 103 yards, including a 52-yard catch in the second quarter that started a 1-yard touchdown by Jeff Wilson.
But in the fourth quarter, Tagovailoa Hill fell and was intercepted by cornerback Jaire Alexander. That game came right after Aaron Rodgers threw his 11th interception of the year.
After the Packers took a 23-20 lead, Tagovailoa was intercepted by linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to end a promising drive. Tagobvailoa sought Raheem Mostert down the middle but Mostert wasn’t ready for the football and Campbell stepped in to cut the ball and catch it.
Rodgers finished the contest 24 of 38 for 238 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Rodgers completed passes to 10 different players, with Allen Lazard leading the way with five catches for 61 yards. Christian Watson left the game with a hip injury but had six receptions for 49 yards. Even Marcedes Lewis, the veteran tight end, made it big, catching two passes for 32 yards with a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
With the win, the Packers are now 7-8 and staying alive in the NFC playoff race. The club are currently No. 10 but are just half a game behind No. 7 Washington. The Packers host the Vikings and Lions in the last two weeks of the season.
The Dolphins were 8-3 but have now lost four in a row to drop to 8-7. They play in New England next week and host the Jets in Week 18.