The Miami Dolphins have done just about everything possible to get back into the playoff picture in the AFC after a dreadful first half of the season.  Now, at 5-6 and riding a 3-game winning streak, the postseason isn't so farfetched. 

However, to keep realistic hopes alive, they will have to buck a nagging trend on a short week – beating a quality team in freezing temperatures.  In this case, it's the Green Bay Packers at historic Lambeau Field, where the two teams will clash on Thanksgiving night at 8:20 pm ET. 

At 8-3, the Packers are currently in a wild card position and in the thick of the race for the NFC North title.  How have they done that this year?  A to Z Sports Packers beat writer Wendell Ferreira was kind enough to answer a few questions ahead of the matchup. 

1) From the outside, it looks like the Green Bay Packers were wise in their decision to give Jordan Love a contract extension. How has he looked this year? Also, what, if any, issues have been present with the offense this season, and have they been resolved (or how can they be resolved if they're still present)?

I still think the decision to pay Jordan Love was the correct one. He had a rough start to the season suffering knee and groin injuries, which made him miss games and play through it. After the bye week, though, he looks much healthier, and the performance has clearly followed that. Love relies on pocket movement and creation, so being physically limited is a huge issue for him.

So far this season, the biggest offensive problem for the Packers had been the lack of redzone efficiency. Entering the San Francisco 49ers game on Sunday, Green Bay was 29th in redzone touchdown rate. However, they jumped to 19th in the season because they scored five of five against the Niners.

Josh Jacobs has been the answer in that regard, but we have to see if it's a sustainable improvement or if it was a one-game outlier.

2) Defensively, the Packers have put together some strong performances this season, holding 7 opponents to under 20 points so far. What's been the key to their success, and where, if any, are their weak spots that can be exploited?

There are two considerations about holding opponents to low scores. The first is that yes, the defense has been much better and less predictable under Jeff Hafley than it was under Joe Barry, who's now the Dolphins' linebackers coach and run game coordinator. Turnovers are the big point, as the Packers lead the league in fumble recoveries (11) and are tied for seventh in interceptions (11). While you might fairly argue that turnovers are not sustainable, Hafley has had a concerted effort to prioritize that, and it's paid off.

The second point is that Matt LaFleur uses the offense to protect the defense. It's a style of play, just like Kyle Shanahan does. The Packers will try to have long drives and run the ball to limit the number of possessions in a game, especially against a powerful offense like the Dolphins have. Against the 49ers, Josh Jacobs ran 26 times, while Jordan Love threw only 23 passes.

3) Looking at the Dolphins, where do you give them the edge in this matchup? Also, where do you think Green Bay can take advantage?

The most impactful advantage for the Dolphins is the wide receivers versus the Packers' cornerbacks, especially if Jaire Alexander can't go. He missed two of the last three games and played only a handful of snaps in the other because of a knee injury. Without Alexander, the cornerback group is mediocre at best.

Even against a backup quarterback in Brandon Allen, the Packers were forced to play zone (sometimes, a soft zone) because they don't have the horses to be as aggressive as Hafley would like.

Against Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, it might be a long night for Carrington Valentine and Keisean Nixon, who have played well, and especially for Eric Stokes and Corey Ballentine if they need to enter the game.

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