Green Bay Packers win beat Miami on Rodgers TD pass with 3 seconds left

In the house that Dan Marino built, it was fitting that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers paid homage to the Miami Dolphins Hall of Famer with a reprise of one of Marino’s most notable plays to lead the Packers to a 27-24 win Sunday at Sun Life Stadium.

Rodgers—much like Marino did to the New York Jets in 1994—faked a clock-stopping spike and instead slung the ball out to the sidelines to rookie receiver Davonte Adams, who gained 12 yards before getting pushed out of bounds with six seconds left.

“That was some freestyling right there,” Rodgers told reporters after the game. The play set up the game-winning score, a 4-yard strike to tight end Andrew Quarless with three seconds to go as the Packers came from behind to beat the Dolphins

It was a final drive that almost didn’t come to fruition.

On third-and-9 from the Dolphins’ 47, Rodgers was sacked by Olivier Vernon and Cameron Wake—who each had 1½ sacks on the day—and fumbled. But left guard T.J. Lang leaped into the pile and recovered the ball, giving Green Bay at least a fighting chance on fourth-and-10.

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Rodgers found Jordy Nelson for an 18-yard gain and a first down, then saved the drive again on third-and-10 with a 10-yard pass to James Starks.

Micah Hyde put the Packers in position for the 11-play, 60-yard frenzy with a 17-yard punt return.

The Packers (4-2) won despite losing both starting cornerbacks—Sam Shields (knee) and Tramon Williams (ankle)—to second-half injuries.

Rodgers finished with 264 yards on 24-of-42 passing with three touchdowns and he also ran for 34 yards on seven carries as the Dolphins—who logged only three sacks—had the heat on the quarterback on a 90-degree day in south Florida.

Green Bay took the early lead, driving 80 yards on nine plays on the opening possession, capped by a 9-yard connection between Rodgers and Nelson.

Miami got a 48-yard field goal from Cole Sturgis with 8:15 to go in the first quarter to make it 7-3. With 8:08 to go in the first half, Mason Crosby connected from 43 yards and it was a 10-3 game at the half. Miami (2-3) went 80 yards in just five plays with the opening possession of the second half, tying the game with an 11-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill to rookie Jarvis Landry. Green Bay got the lead back with 3:44 to go in the quarter, capping a 13-play, 80-yard march with a 5-yard pass from Rodgers to Randall Cobb.

But with the Packers starting to feel the heat in the fourth quarter and injuries depleting the defense—in addition to the two corners, linebacker Jamari Lattimore left the game in the second quarter with a neck injury—and Miami put together a 10-play, 80-yard drive bridging the third and fourth quarters, capped by a 5-yard run by Lamar Miller with 13:42 left in regulation.

A quick three-and-out gave the ball back to the Dolphins and Tannehill took advantage of the short-handed Pack.

Three completions of at least 20 yards—25 yards to Mike Wallace, 20 yards to Miller and 21 yards to Landry—got Miami close and Tannehill capped the drive with a 5-yard pass to Wallace for a 24-17 lead.

Green Bay answered with a 30-yard field goal by Crosby with 4:13 to go.

Then the Green Bay defense came up with the stop it needed, forcing a punt with 2:15 to go.

The Dolphins tried to pull off some trickery on the final play, picking up 27 yards on a crazy play that started with Tannehill passing to Landry, who lateraled to Brian Hartline, who pitched it back to Tannehill, who threw it across the field to Miller.

Miller found a seam up the sideline and got near midfield, but fumbled and Julius Peppers pounced on it to end the ballgame.

One of the more interesting plays of the game came on the first play of the fourth quarter, when Tannehill looked for tight end Charles Clay down the seam in the end zone. Packer linebacker Brad Jones, with no idea where the ball was, broke up the pass when the pass clanked off his helmet.

Nelson had nine receptions on 16 targets for the Packers, finishing with 107 yards and a touchdown. Adams had six catches for 77 yards.

For Miami, Tannehill was 20-for-31 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, but was picked off twice, once by Casey Hayward and once by Shields.

Despite having the ball for 37:12 to just 22:48 for Miami, the Packers only outgained the Dolphins 369-349.

With the win, the Packers remained even with the Detroit Lions in the NFC North. Detroit improved to 4-2 with a 17-3 win at Minnesota Sunday and holds the division lead based on a head-to-head tiebreak with the Pack.

Green Bay is home next week for Carolina at noon Central. The Panthers (3-2-1) tied Cincinnati 37-37. The Dolphins visit Chicago next Sunday.