Packers news: Romeo Doubs and Jaire Alexander are out, Tua Tagovailoa presents tough test

The Packers boast an 8-3 record heading into their Thanksgiving Day showdown against the Dolphins but that's only good for third place in the NFC North. If Green Bay wants to move up the standings they will need to overcome a Miami team that desperately needs a win to boost their own playoff hopes.

Unfortunately for head coach Matt LaFleur, he'll go into Thursday night's encounter short-handed. The Packers are missing several key starters. That means some reserve players will need to step up with big performances to knock off the Dolphins.

Thanksgiving Day may not be a big news day on the whole, but that does not mean Packers fans shouldn't be keeping an eye on several big storylines. The following news items will have a strong influence on who wins the Thanksgiving Night showdown.

Packers news No. 1: Three key starters will miss the game

Packersnews.com reports that wide receiver Romeo Doubs will miss out against Miami due to the concussion he suffered last week against the 49ers. His absence will force quarterback Jordan Love to distribute his target share to other wideouts on the roster.

The good news for Green Bay is that they don't have a true No. 1 wide receiver on their depth chart. Doubs has played that role in several games, but he's not been a consistent star in 2024. Fans should expect Christian Watson and Jayden Reed to get more targets in Doubs' absence. Their ability to produce explosive plays could be a problem for Miami's secondary.

The more troubling injuries for the Packers are on the defensive side of the ball. Veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander cannot seem to get healthy and will be inactive against the Dolphins. That's great news for Miam's star-studded wide receiver duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Expect defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to craft a more conservative coverage scheme to help make up for the lack of a true No. 1 cornerback.

Rookie middle linebacker Edgerrin Cooper will be sidelined with a hamstring injury. He has been a steady tackler in the middle of Green Bay's defense this season. Eric Wilson and Isaiah McDuffie will see increased snap without Cooper to rely on. That change should not alter Green Bay's game plan too much but sure tackling in the middle will still be important against the Dolphins.

Packers news No. 2: Green Bay needs to pressure Tua

Tagovailoa's concussion injuries are well known throughout the league. That's why the Dolphins have gone to great lengths to protect him since he's come back from his latest absence. The talented quarterback has only been pressured on 25% of his drop backs over the last three games. That's bad news for a Packers' front-seven that has struggled to pressure the quarterback for long stretches this year.

As usual, Green Bay will need Rashan Gary to play like a true No. 1 edge rusher. The opposite spot up front has been in flux since Preston Smith was traded. Lukas Van Ness needs to build on the sack he notched last week if the Packers are going to slow down Miami's fast-paced attack. Green Bay might also employ more blitzes than normal to stop Tagovailoa from getting comfortable in the pocket.

Packers news No. 3: Jordan Love is focused on protecting the football

Love didn't light up the stat sheet against San Francisco in Week 12, but he did avoid turning the football over. Protecting the ball will be a key for Green Bay's offense again this week. Giving the Dolphins' offense short fields to work with is a clear path to disaster for the Packers.

The coaching staff does not want Love to to get too conservative with the football. A lot of the value he brings to the Green Bay offense comes from his willingness to take deep shots down the field. That kind of aggression leads to explosive plays but also will yield an occasional turnover. The key for Love will be to make sure anytime the ball ends up in opposing hands it comes on deep shots. No short or intermediate throws can end up in enemy hands this week if Green Bay wants to win.

Packers news No. 4: Third down will be a big key

The Dolphins defense comes into this week ranked fifth in the NFL on third-down conversions. That's a troubling statistic for a Green Bay offense that would like to keep the ball away from Tua and company for long stretches of time.

Love will need to hit some nice throws on third down to keep the chains moving, but Josh Jacobs' ability to run the ball efficiently will also be a key for the Packers. He went over the 100-yard mark against the 49ers last week but only averaged slightly over four yards per carry. The Packers will need his effectiveness to go up a notch on Thursday if they want to win the time of possession game.

One other thing for Packers to look out for is how much tight ends are targeted against the Dolphins. Tucker Kraft could receive a surprisingly large target share if Love needs to get the ball out of his hands early to blunt Miami's bevy of blitz packages. He isn't the prototypical field-stretching tight end that's en vouge around the NFL at the moment, but he's got more athleticism than some safeties can handle. A big catch or two from Kraft could turn the game in Green Bay's favor on Thanksgiving.