The Green Bay Packers (8-3) and Miami Dolphins (5-6) are both coming off strong wins in week 12. Green Bay took care of the San Francisco 49ers 38-10 to keep pace with the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions in the NFC North.
Miami is coming off a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots that kept their playoff hopes alive. However, if Miami wants to keep winning, they’re going to have to do so without two key pieces on Thanksgiving Night in Lambeau Field.
“That Is Massive, Wow” Packers Fans Shocked As Dolphins Rule Out Two Massive Players For Thanksgiving
According to Adam Stites of USA Today:
The Miami Dolphins expect to be without linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. and cornerback Kendall Fuller for a Thanksgiving game against the Green Bay Packers, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Monday.
While both are big losses for the Miami defense, the team may not be without the pair of starters much longer.
Walker, 29, injured his hamstring on a play Sunday without making any contact with a New England Patriots player. While he exited the game and didn’t return, McDaniel said tests have shown the injury isn’t too serious and he likely won’t miss extensive time.
But with Walker expected to miss at least one game, the Dolphins will presumably turn to former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson to take a spot in the starting lineup. Dodson, who was claimed off waivers two weeks ago, replaced Walker in the lineup Sunday and finished with an interception in the Week 12 win.
Fuller, 29, has been out of action since suffering a concussion — his second of the 2024 season — in a Week 10 win against the Los Angeles Rams. In his absence, the Dolphins have mostly relied on undrafted rookie Storm Duck to fill his place.
It will be interesting to see how Green Bay will try to exploit Miami’s defense given these injuries. Here is a look at Fuller’s stats so far this season:
| Def Interceptions | Fumbles | Tackles | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Team | Opp | Result | Int | Yds | IntTD | Lng | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | FRTD | Sk | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sfty | |
| 2024-11-11 | MIA | @ | LAR | W 23-15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-11-03 | MIA | @ | BUF | L 27-30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-10-27 | MIA | ARI | L 27-28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024-10-20 | MIA | @ | IND | L 10-16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-10-06 | MIA | @ | NWE | W 15-10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-09-22 | MIA | @ | SEA | L 3-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-09-12 | MIA | BUF | L 10-31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024-09-08 | MIA | JAX | W 20-17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
Fans were in shock when they saw these two players would be ruled out:
Éric Smith is bad. Backup to Fuller.
— Marv Almeida (@MarvAlmeida) November 25, 2024
Wow this is massive
— McQuade Arnold – WISports (@mcquadewarnold) November 26, 2024
Are you kidding me
— Messithegoat10 (@Messithegoat103) November 25, 2024
McDaniel is overdoing it now
— Don’t neglect the oline again (@Magical_Answer) November 25, 2024
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