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Rodgers, Packers edge Tannehill, Dolphins

Oct 12, 2014 - 10:26 PM Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Aaron Rodgers faced Joe Philbin for the first time and engineered a winning two-minute drill.

His old coach is working with a different quarterback these days -- and the new guy looked a lot like the old guy when it mattered most.

Rodgers threw a 4-yard touchdown pass with three seconds remaining on Sunday to lift the Green Bay Packers to a dramatic 27-24 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Andrew Quarless' catch in the front-right corner of the end zone capped a 60- yard drive in 2:01 that included a fake spike by Rodgers to set up a 12-yard completion on the previous play.

"A-Rod, I think that last drive, it just shows you what kind of leader he is," said Quarless of Rodgers. "He's just decisive and he makes plays. I'm thankful he came to me with it. It just shows how we're building."

Rodgers beat Philbin, the old Green Bay offensive coordinator who helped turn the Packers quarterback into an MVP but is now in his third year as coach of the Dolphins.

The winning throw came after Ryan Tannehill led the Dolphins on three straight second-half touchdown drives to take the lead before Miami was forced to punt on its fourth possession.

Rodgers passed for 264 yards and three touchdowns in his 100th regular-season game, the other two going to Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb to help the Packers (4-2) build a 17-10 lead after three quarters. Nelson gained 107 yards on nine catches, including an 18-yard gain on fourth down on the winning drive.

"An excellent road victory," Packers head coach Mike McCarthy remarked. "We knew this was going to be a tough game coming down here in the heat. The thing that impressed me the most in our victory is just the grit of our football team; the way each phase picked up for one another."

After Mike Wallace caught a 5-yard touchdown pass with 9:13 remaining for the Dolphins (2-3), the Packers scored 10 unanswered points for the win.

"This one is tough," said Tannehill. "Knowing that we didn't play well in the first half (and how we) fought ourselves back in (and) made a bunch of plays in the second half but didn't get it done right there at the end with (our) offense or defense, makes it hurt that much more."

Tannehill had two first-half interceptions but passed for 244 yards and two scores. Rookie wide receiver Jarvis Landry caught one of them for his first career touchdown. Lamar Miller ran for a score and Knowshon Moreno carried six times for 10 yards after missing the previous two games with an elbow injury.

Tannehill was backing up under pressure when he flung a 9-yard touchdown pass to Landry, who leapt to make the catch over Tramon Williams near the back of the end zone to tie the score three minutes into the second half.

Rodgers avoided a rush on his second touchdown pass, scrambling toward the right sideline to spot Cobb, who came forward in the end zone in front of three defenders to catch the 5-yard throw.

Not to be outdone, Tannehill wiggled out of a would-be sack for a 25-yard pass to Wallace on a swift 80-yard drive that ended with Miller's 5-yard touchdown run to make it 17-17 tie 78 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Tannehill was just as good on Miami's third drive of the half with another 25- yard pass to Wallace, a short throw Miller turned into a 20-yard gain and a 21-yard toss to Landry. His toss to Wallace made it 24-17 with 9:13 left.

The Packers settled for a 30-yard field goal from Mason Crosby after that, but Rodgers got the ball back at his own 40 with 2:04 to play after Miami punted.

Rodgers was sharp on the game's first drive, completing all five of his passes for 69 yards with a 9-yard strike to Nelson in the end zone.

A 54-yard kickoff return by Landry set up Caleb Sturgis' 48-yard field goal for Miami but Jonathan Freeny's blocked punt failed to produce points for the Dolphins when the Packers stopped them three times at the 1-yard line.

Only one of Tannehill's two first-half interceptions led to points when Crosby kicked a 43-yard field goal after Casey Hayward leapt in front of a, giving the Packers a 10-3 lead at the break.

Sam Shields, who also intercepted Tannehill, went down to the grass prior to a snap late in the third quarter with a knee injury. Williams, the other Packers cornerback, was helped off the field not long after that with an ankle injury.

Game Notes

Green Bay's Eddie Lacy rushed 14 times for 40 yards ... The Packers have won three games in a row and are home next Sunday against Carolina ... The Dolphins, who were coming off a bye, play at Chicago next week ... Miami safety Reshad Jones and offensive lineman Mike Pouncey were active for the first time this season. Jones returned from a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy and Pouncey was back after having hip surgery in June, though the Dolphins moved him to the guard position and had Samson Satele start at center again ... Packers linebacker Jamari Lattimore left the game in the first half with a neck injury.