‘Soft’: Dolphins LB Says Cold Weather Played a Role in Loss to Packers
GREEN BAY, Wisc. — The Miami Dolphins had a rough night in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, falling 30-17 to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. And if you ask linebacker Jordyn Brooks, the cold weather wasn’t just a factor—it was the factor.
According to NextGen Stats, the Dolphins missed a staggering 20 tackles during the game, which directly resulted in 132 additional yards for the Packers. Brooks didn’t mince words when asked about the team’s performance, pointing to the mid-20-degree temperatures as a possible culprit.
“I thought we were soft,” Brooks said bluntly after the game. “Simple as that, I thought we were soft today. I don’t know if guys was too cold… I don’t know what it was. I feel like the elements played a part in how we played as a group, and that was the result that we got.”
Missed Tackles and Missed Opportunities
The Dolphins’ defense, which had gone five straight games without allowing an opponent to rush for 100 yards, crumbled under the pressure—and the cold. By halftime, the Packers had already racked up 108 rushing yards. Green Bay averaged more than seven yards per play and didn’t turn the ball over once, marking the first time Miami failed to force a turnover since Week 8.
Defensive lineman Calais Campbell didn’t hide his frustration when he heard the final tally of missed tackles. “That’s the game right there, man. Twenty missed tackles—it’s hard to win,” Campbell said. “I think it was one of those days where what could go wrong, went wrong… I don’t ever want to make excuses, but I felt like today, the ball bounced their way and they made the plays to win the ball game. When we had our opportunities to make tackles in critical spaces, we have to find a way.”
Special Teams and Offensive Struggles
It wasn’t just the defense that struggled. Miami’s special teams set the tone early when rookie returner Malik Washington muffed a punt on Green Bay’s opening drive, giving the Packers the ball at the Dolphins’ 7-yard line. Three plays later, Jordan Love connected with Jayden Reed for a touchdown.
Campbell acknowledged that mistakes like that are tough to overcome but also pointed out that the defense failed to limit the damage. “We’ve got to hold them to a field goal there,” he said. “That’s a big swing.”
Meanwhile, the Dolphins’ offense sputtered, converting just 4-of-14 third downs and failing to score touchdowns on half of their red zone trips. One particularly painful sequence came on a second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, where Miami ultimately turned the ball over on downs. Head coach Mike McDaniel took responsibility for the failed series, saying, “It was a collection of things over a four-play span that will be tough for us to swallow when we watch film.”
Playoff Hopes on Life Support
With the loss, Miami now sits two games behind the Denver Broncos for the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC. With just five games remaining, the Dolphins likely need to win out to have any realistic shot at making the postseason for a third straight year.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa isn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. “I wouldn’t say the dream is dead,” he said. But Campbell was more pragmatic, admitting the team will likely need some help to sneak into the playoffs.
McDaniel tried to keep things in perspective, reminding his team of their resilience earlier in the season. “You hyper-focus on the next thing and you take it one game at a time, just like we did when we were 2-6,” he said. “I told them, 5-7 pales in comparison to 2-6. We positioned ourselves to be in a situation where we could withstand a one-game setback and still get things done… It just gets really frustrating when you know you’re capable of winning a game and you can point to yourself as to why you lost it.”
Cold Weather Woes Continue
Thursday’s loss marked the Dolphins’ seventh straight defeat in games where the temperature at kickoff was below freezing. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for a team that had openly embraced the chance to prove it could handle cold-weather conditions.
Looking ahead, three of Miami’s final five games will be played in warm or controlled environments—two at home and one at Houston’s domed NRG Stadium. However, the Dolphins will close the season with back-to-back road games against the Browns and Jets, both of which could feature frigid temperatures.
McDaniel remains optimistic that his team can rise to the challenge. “Eventually you have to overcome it, if you’re trying to do anything in this league,” he said. “I think our guys will look forward to executing in the cold weather at the next opportunity; I think they know they can, so they need to and they want to.”
Originally Written by: Marcel Louis-Jacques
