Pittsburgh @ Miami – Match Ups
December 31, 2009 by steelerguy26
Filed under Blitz Blog
One last push: The Dolphins and the Steelers will both need plenty of help to return to the postseason — but neither team has been mathematically eliminated just yet. In order to pick up an AFC Wildcard berth, the first part of the equation for each team is simple: They need to win this game. From there, the Dolphins need losses from the Jets, the Ravens, the Texans and the Jaguars. And the Steelers will be rooting for a combination of losses from either the Texans and the Jets, the Texans and the Ravens or the Ravens, the Jets and the Broncos. But for the sake of limiting confusion, it’s still much simpler: The only way either team will have a chance begins with a win Sunday.
Polamalu: Safety Troy Polamalu has already been forced to miss 10 games in an injury-riddled season. It remains to be seen whether he’ll also miss his 11th. Last week, it appeared Polamalu’s knee was nearly to the point when he could play against the Ravens, but the team decided to keep him sidelined yet again. Whether the team decides to play him against the Dolphins remains to be seen. If they do, it will be interesting to see whether Polamalu can shake the rust of his time away quickly enough to make an impact. The Dolphins surely hope not, since their passing game isn’t exactly on fire right now to begin with.
Youth movement: The Dolphins are still trying to maintain motivation based on the possibility that they could still make the playoffs. But with four other teams needing to lose Sunday, it’s not exactly a prospect that’s providing a great deal of inspiration. The Dolphins should still have plenty of reason to be motivated, if not only because of the future of the organization. There are many young players — guys who are expected to be impact players on this team for years to come — who need as much valuable game experience as they can get. So Sunday will be an important day for quarterback Chad Henne, rookie cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith, nose tackle Paul Soliai, defensive end Randy Starks and a number of other players who want to show they belong on the field this year as well as next year.
Steelers Keys For Success
1. Contain the run. Even without Ronnie Brown, the Dolphins have continued to feature one of the best rush offenses in the league behind Ricky Williams. That will be a problem for the Steelers, whose rush defense has faltered. They have allowed 171 and 175 yards rushing in two of the past three games the highest totals they have yielded this season.
2. Protect the edge. Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked 47 times the fourth year in a row he has been sacked 46 times or more. Nonetheless, the Dolphins have to keep him from getting outside the pocket, where he makes big plays on the move better than any other quarterback in the league.
3. Make big plays. The Steelers have put even more emphasis on throwing the past couple of weeks, which is a byproduct of having a suspect defense that has trouble protecting leads. The Dolphins have allowed 16 pass plays of 40 yards or longer (tied for the league high) and 54 plays of 20 yards or more (tied for third most in the league). Expect the pass-happy trend to continue.
Dolphins Keys For Success
1. Start fast. Only a month ago, the Dolphins were having significant issues closing out games, as evidenced by the fact they’d already allowed more points in the fourth quarter than any team in franchise history. Now, over the past two weeks at least, they’re having trouble getting started. A week ago, the Dolphins got behind 27-0 against Houston before staging a comeback the fell short. If Miami wants to have a chance against the Steelers, it will have to come out of the gate with intensity and purpose.
2. Have better communication. For those who doubt inside linebacker Channing Crowder’s impact, consider what happened Sunday when he suffered a foot injury during the first defensive series. Miami’s run defense crumbled and the communication within the unit was poor. Crowder is a field general for the defense, and considering he won’t be able to play Sunday against the Steelers, it’s time for somebody else to take on the role. Reggie Torbor will take Crowder’s place at inside linebacker, but Akin Ayodele likely will be the voice of the defense. This shapes up as another tough day for Miami’s run defense.
3. Play a complete game. The Dolphins started fast early in the season. Now, they’re coming out completely flat. Whatever the problem is, Miami is scrambling to find its identity as the final game approaches. Even with a win Sunday, the Dolphins won’t likely make the playoffs because of all the help they need. It would still be nice for the sake of something to build on to put together a complete game. If the Dolphins can do that, it would at least prove they are capable of the feat, something that hasn’t been the case often this season. .
The Bottom Line
It’s hard to imagine either of these teams making the playoffs, considering how much help both squads will need even if they win. But the Dolphins and the Steelers are two gritty teams that surely won’t quit, which should still make this a fun battle to watch regardless of its implications. However, with linebacker Channing Crowder out of this game with a foot injury, the Dolphins’ defense will be in a situation that’s going to cause some severe difficulties slowing down the Steelers’ offense. At full strength, this game could easily go either way. Without Crowder, the Steelers get the edge.
Scoring prediction: Steelers 24 – Dolphins 21
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