The Green Bay Packers defeated the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in the afternoon window, and now they face their next challenge just days away.
The Packers have only three days to prepare for Thursday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.
Although both games are at Lambeau Field, the usual benefit of a Thursday game won’t apply, as there won’t be a minibye before this one. The Packers will instead have two consecutive Thursday games, with the minibye coming ahead of their Week 15 Sunday Night Football matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. For now, it’s about maximizing recovery time and finalizing their game plan.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur spent the bye week studying the Dolphins in preparation. After the 49ers game, he worked late into the night to finalize his plan. By Monday afternoon, the initial game plan had to be ready.
“It’s going to be a late night,” LaFleur remarked. “We’ve got a quick turnaround and need to make rapid decisions since the players return in the morning. We’ll present them with an initial plan and they’ll have to do whatever they can to recover. The 49ers are a physical team, so some players will be sore, but they’re already focused on recovery.”
Quarterback Jordan Love noted how difficult it is to recover in such a short time. “Getting your body right is always a challenge, especially with such a short week. The Miami Dolphins are in the same situation, so there’s no need to complain. We’ll focus on getting our bodies back, but we’ll see who’s banged up and how we’re doing.”
Although LaFleur already had a base plan in place, the weekend’s results necessitated updates, especially after the Dolphins’ impressive win over the New England Patriots. “We need to review everything, make adjustments based on what we see on tape, and correct any weaknesses we might have exposed,” he said.
The Packers are entering a busy stretch of primetime games, with four in a row after having just one so far this season. The upcoming primetime schedule includes:
Thursday Night Football vs Dolphins (Week 13)
Thursday Night Football at Lions (Week 14)
Sunday Night Football at Seahawks (Week 15)
Monday Night Football vs Saints (Week 16)
The next month will be crucial in defining the Packers’ regular season. Meanwhile, wide receiver Romeo Doubs had to leave the game against the 49ers after a hard hit while attempting a touchdown catch.
Running back Josh Jacobs also dealt with cramps but finished with 106 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Jordan Love completed 13 of 23 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, with several receivers stepping up, including Malik Heath, who caught a touchdown.
