GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Jones ran for career highs of 145 yards and two scores, Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams connected for two touchdown passes and the Green Bay Packers beat the Miami Dolphins 31-12 on Sunday.
The Packers (4-4-1) pulled away in the second half, sandwiching scoring drives around cornerback Bashaud Breeland's interception deep in Miami territory. Green Bay went ahead 28-12 on Adams' 25-yard touchdown catch with 7:24 left in the third quarter.
Maybe this is the game that will get the Packers going in the tight NFC North race following a choppy first half of the season.
Rookie Jason Sanders tied a Dolphins franchise record with four field goals, but Miami (5-5) couldn't find the end zone. The Dolphins squandered another opportunity on the game-opening drive after Brock Osweiler fumbled away a shotgun snap.
The Packers cashed in on that turnover, too, when Rodgers and Adams connected on their first touchdown for a 7-0 lead.
But Jones, who finished with 15 carries, gave Green Bay some much-needed balance.
A slashing style and an explosive burst through the hole make Jones a threat to bust a big run on any carry. He accounted for 54 yards of total offense on the opening drive alone.
Jones added a career-long 67-yarder to give him 96 yards on four carries in the first quarter alone.
Osweiler was 23 of 37 for 213 yards in his fifth start for the injured Ryan Tannehill. Miami had 294 yards of total offense, an admirable effort given that they were missing three starting offensive linemen.
But Osweiler was sacked six times, including three straight plays late in the fourth quarter.
Rodgers was 19 of 28 for 199 yards. Adams had four catches for 57 yards.
The victorious @AaronRodgers12 exits @LambeauField #Packers pic.twitter.com/I7d3aszrn1
— Lance Allan (@lanceallan) November 12, 2018
RECORD RUN:
A 9-yard run with about 3½ minutes left in the first quarter put Miami's Frank Gore over the 500-yard mark for an NFL-record 14th straight season. He broke a tie with Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton.
COSTLY KICK:
Sanders booted a kickoff out of bounds after his fourth field goal to allow the Packers to start their next drive at the 40, which ended with a 10-yard touchdown run by Jones.
INJURIES:
Dolphins: RB Kenyan Drake left with a knee injury the second quarter. ... WRs Davante Parker (shoulder) and Jakeem Grant (leg) left in the third quarter.
Packers: A defense already missing CB Kevin King (hamstring) lost two more starters in the first half when S Kentrell Brice departed with an ankle injury and linebacker Nick Perry limped off with a knee injury. Brice (knee) and Perry (ankle) had been on the injury report last week for other ailments. ... OL Lucas Patrick (concussion protocol) did not return after taking a hard hit while returning a short kickoff in the first quarter.
UP NEXT:
Dolphins: Have a bye next week before a trip to Indianapolis on Nov. 25.
Packers: Visit the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.
