The Miami Dolphins put their four-game winning streak on the line this week when they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers for a Week 15 Monday Night Football showdown. The Dolphins are attempting to make an
improbable return to playoff contention after a 1-6 start to the year has turned into a 6-7 record ahead of this week’s game.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, have been up and down all year. They started the year with three wins in four weeks, but after their Week 5 bye, they have gone 4-5 and have not recorded back-to-back wins. They did pull off a 27-22 victory over the Baltimore Ravens last week to push themselves into the lead in the AFC North, however, and could continue to strengthen their position with a win on Monday.
As part of our preview of this week’s Dolphins game, I turned to Behind the Steel Curtain, SB Nation’s Steelers team site, to get a closer look at Pittsburgh. Contributing author Ryan Parish was kind enough to answer my questions about the Steelers. Make sure you check out my side of the conversation, previewing the Dolphins for Parish, as well.
The Steelers are such a confusing team this year. One week, it seems like Mike Tomlin is on the hot seat and might be fired. The next week, they are leading the AFC North and in a prime position to make the playoffs. Then it all swaps again. How are fans really feeling about the Steelers this season and how secure is Tomlin’s job?
Unfortunately, this is nothing new for Steelers fans, as the organization has been tr1apped in its own bizarre version of Groundhog Day since at least 2019. As made clear by recent chants of “Fire Tomlin” and the booing of the song “Renegade” a previously beloved tradition, fans’ have never been more unified in their frustration with Mike Tomlin. There have always been some bad-faith actors who have opposed Tomlin’s hiring from the beginning, but even longtime Tomlin defenders such as myself have begun to feel the time for change has arrived. Tomlin is an all-time great coach, but in recent years he’s made some questionable staffing hires, and he seems opposed to adapting to recent schematic and analytic developments in the game. It’s this lack of adaptation that has officially worn down some of his defenders. That said, the Steelers’ front office is the most patient in the league. I get the sense that Tomlin will remain in Pittsburgh until his contract is up or he decides he’s ready to hang it up.
This probably plays into the ups and downs of the Steelers’ season, but the defense has not been as strong as expected this year, and now you have T.J. Watt landing in the hospital with a lung issue. What are your expectations for this week defensively for Pittsburgh, and what has and hasn’t worked this year?
First and foremost, I’m hoping Watt’s injury is one he is able to recover quickly from. As far as the football of it all, the Steelers are actually well-positioned to survive him missing a game or two. Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig generate pressure at an above-average rate in their own right. And truthfully, from what I understand of the Dolphins’ offense, that ball will be coming out quickly underneath anyway. That’s how teams have neutralized the Pittsburgh pass rush for at least two seasons now, and I expect more of it this Sunday. As for the Steelers’ defensive struggles, some of that falls on the Steelers’ stubbornly playing a lot of single high safety looks despite getting torched in those looks all season. Secondly, the Steelers’ defense has played a league-high 897 defensive snaps and a league-low 718 plays on offense. That’s the equivalent of the defense playing nearly three extra games when you account for the league average of snaps in a game. The offense failing to play complementary football has taxed this defense, and it shows in the second halves of games.
Obviously, Jalen Ramsey and Jonuu Smith are of interest this week. How have they looked this season?
Ramsey has been a good addition, especially after shifting him to full-time work at safety. He’s still a threat in the middle of the field, and he sets the tone for this defense when he delivers a hit that causes an incompletion or turnover. As for Smith, are you sure you guys don’t want him back? Man can’t block; he runs almost exclusively screens, flats, hitches, and quick outs, yet has provided very few yards after the catch. He’s also been stealing reps from better tight ends, namely Pat Friermuth. Smith’s been a major disappointment.
If you are the Dolphins coaching staff, designing the offensive and defensive game plans for Monday night, what are you doing to find success in this game?
The Steelers have been pretty abysmal against the run, especially since rookie lineman Derrick Harmon has been sidelined with an injury. That plays into Miami’s strengths, and I would run the ball, especially to the edges, until the wheels fall off. The middle of the field is also a weak spot against the passing game, so if you can run some crossers to exploit the linebackers, as well as come with some Cover 3 beaters, you stand a puncher’s chance.
Who is a name on offense and defense Dolphins fans might not recognize, but will have an impact on the game?
Cornerback James Pierre has been a cool story in Pittsburgh this year. A former undrafted rookie who is now on his second stint with the Steelers, Pierre has become one of the team’s better coverage corners. With Watt likely missing this week or being limited at best, get ready to learn the name Nick Herbig, who has been incredibly efficient as a twitched-up pass rusher. On offense, if Darnell Washington can clear concussion protocol, he should have an impact on the game as both a run blocker, and a size-speed freak in the passing game. Otherwise, DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren and Kenny Gainwell essentially are the Pittsburgh offense. It’s an incredibly siloed passing attack, not all that different from the Dolphins’ trio of Waddle, Achane and Washington.
