Green Bay Packers vs. Miami Dolphins: Breaking Down Green Bay's Game Plan

Heading into Sunday with a 3-2 record, the Green Bay Packers have the third-highest odds to win the Super Bowl according to Odds Shark. The difference is stark between the team's current image and what it was after a 1-2 start, prompting quarterback Aaron Rodgers to tell everyone to R-E-L-A-X.

Facing a Miami Dolphins squad coming off a bye week, the Packers must bring their A-game to beat the 2-2 squad that shut down the New England Patriots 33-20. To do so, we'll break down the biggest key for the Packers offense and defense in the game.

Offense Key: Get in Rhythm Early

In Green Bay's first three games of the season, its first two drives in each match resulted in no points. In those games, the Packers were outscored by a mark of 79-54 and finished the stretch with a 1-2 record.

In the past two games, Green Bay's scored three touchdowns in its first two drives against the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings. It outscored its divisional opponents 80-27 and came away with two victories.

With a larger lean on the no-huddle offense, Green Bay's key to moving the ball down the field is tempo and efficiency. It's not about the big play but pecking away at the defense in small movements, earning first downs and going for the home run ball when the defense overcompensates in some way.

Five games into the season, the Packers have proved that they can move the ball against a multitude of coverages in different situations, as I recently pointed out:

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Green Bay has run many, many concepts for big plays to this point in the season. Against Cover 1, Cover 2 and Cover 3, the Packers have proved their ability to call and execute deep plays based on coverage. In the red zone, the Packers have managed to have success in the air, taking advantage of man coverage.

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The key of the offense may be Aaron Rodgers, but the ignition is the skill players surrounding him. Earlier in the season, they left a couple of plays a game on the table. But recently, with Eddie Lacy breaking out and Jordy Nelson hitting another level of performance, the Packers have seemingly turned the ship around offensively. Even the second target in Green Bay's receiving corps, Randall Cobb, is doing well, leading the league in touchdowns. Rookie Davante Adams is also coming into his own in the third receiver role.

With high expectations for the offense coming into the game, the offense must get points on the board early, finding a pattern and rhythm that makes the offense comfortable from the kick.

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#Packers held record for one year. Defense on field for 1,156 plays in '83. Chiefs beat it in '84 with 1,159 plays; Pack had 1,140 that year

— Packer Report (@PackerReport) October 8, 2014 "

The Packers defense is also begging for the offense to stay on the field, as it's currently staying on grass far too often to not break down as the season progresses.

Defense Key: Take Advantage of Offensive Line 

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Mike Pouncey getting reps at RG alongside RT Ja'Wuan James.

— Chris Perkins (@chrisperk) October 8, 2014"

First reported by The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, the Miami Dolphins are considering moving recently injured center Mike Pouncey to right guard for the time being.

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Pouncey, who took first team snaps Monday, said the decision about a potential move to guard ultimately would come down to his comfort level with the switch, coupled with what coaches believe is “best for the team.”

Though he hasn’t played guard in four years, Pouncey said guard “is easier” than center.

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It seems fairly clear that Pouncey isn't at 100 percent coming into the game. His replacement at center has been Samson Satele, who's now on his fourth team in his career. While holding down the job efficiently enough to allow Pouncey to transition back to his former starting role, Satele hasn't been perfect.

Credit: NFL Rewind

Against the Kansas City Chiefs, his inability to stop quick penetrators was evident on coaches' tape. Vance Walker faced Satele on this play, moving into the play-side A-gap just before the snap took place. With only moments to prepare, Satele wasn't able to match Walkers' speed on the snap count.

Credit: NFL Rewind

The play resulted in a tackle for loss that stalled Miami's momentum on the drive.

Luckily for Green Bay, it has two talented, young defensive linemen who excel in the exact situation as Walkers' tackle for loss. Mike Daniels and Datone Jones have been impressive in their progression from 2013 to 2014 at this point in the season. Neither is truly stout at the line of scrimmage, but they both get into the backfield more quickly and efficiently than most 3-4 defensive end duos.

Jones is currently "day-to-day," according to the Green Bay Press Gazette's Wes Hodkiewicz, but if he's able to play and contribute as a disruptive force at and behind the line of scrimmage, the Packers could halt Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin, Green Bay's former offensive coordinator, in his tracks on Sunday.

Final Thoughts

If Green Bay can establish movement of the ball early, the 2014 trends bode well for the squad. It'll be able to keep its defense off the field more, allowing it to rest, and have a much higher success rate at moving the ball down the stretch.

Defensively, if Dom Capers' penetrating defense can take advantage of movement across the offensive line, the squad can put an end to the Dolphins offense led by a former Packer.