Our Sunday of NFL Wild Card action begins in the AFC once again as the Miami Dolphins (10-6) travel north to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) at Hienz Field. Kick off is set for 1:05 p.m. on CBS.
The line on this one has moved a little since Monday, from -10 to -10.5 and the total has dropped from 47 to 45.5. What does that mean about the game? Nobody thinks the Dolphins stand a chance is what it means.
Let’s get fired up and look at the match up.
The Game: Miami at Pittsburgh (-10.5, 45.5 O/U)
The History
This is the fourth times the Dolphins and Steelers have met in the playoffs and the first time since 1985. Miami, with Pittsburgh-native Dan Marino at quarterback, won that game 45-28.
The winner of the three previous Dolphins vs Steelers playof games made it to the Super Bowl every time.
The overall series between the two teams is tied, 13-13. The Dolphins have won the last two match ups, including a 30-15 win this season.
The Steelers own the longest streak in the rivalry, winning five consecutive games from Sept. 2004 to Oct. 2010.
Considering both of these organizations were two of the all-time best in the 1970s, winning six Super Bowls between them, they only met up five times in the decade, with two meetings in the playoffs. The teams split those playoff meetings with the Dolphins winning 21-17 in 1972 (the year they went (17-0) and the Steelers wining 34-14 (on the way to their fourth Super Bowl title).
How the Dolphins Got Here
Miami made it to the playoffs and double-digit wins the hardest way possible. While the team was still finding its footing in the early part of the season they opened 1-4 and looked like they would be a complete non-factor in the AFC. Then, a 30-15 beat down of the Steelers flipped the switch. The offense improved, Ryan Tannehill was taken off the trash heap of NFL quarterbacks and the team won six straight games.
The regular season is in the books. But we're not done.
A look back at the best of mic'd up. https://t.co/m7aMgqxY4U
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) January 6, 2017
But the Dolphins couldn’t keep the good news rolling. Tannehill, having the best season of his life, injured his knee in a win over the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 12. That should have been it for Miami, instead they won their next two games with back up Matt Moore. Their only loss with Moore was in the season finale against the New England Patriots.
With Moore at quarterback the Dolphins scored 34 points in back-to-back wins, including a 34-31 victory over the Buffalo Bills that got Rex Ryan fired.
How the Steelers Got Here
The answer to that question was simple; Ben Roethlisberger got healthy. With a healthy Roethlisberger the Steelers shot out to a 4-1 start to begin the season, but that same game that got the Dolpins moving forward, sent Pittsburgh limping through the next month as Big Ben exited the game with an injured leg. The Steelers lost two straight games with Landry Jones at quarterback.
In 2016, Le'Veon Bell became the 1st player in NFL history to average at least 100 rushing & 50 receiving yards per game in a season. pic.twitter.com/6u6wuV9ZG9
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 6, 2017
Roethlisberger came back too early, as he always does, and Pittsburgh dropped two more games, first to the Baltimore Ravens, then to the Dallas Cowboys. Roethlisberger was healthy in that game, but the Cowboys were just better. The Cleveland Browns showed up on the schedule and fixed everything, with the Steelers winning seven consecutive games to take the AFC North title and secure a home playoff game.
The X-Factors
The Steelers have the biggest x-factor of all and it has three heads. If you can believe it, this will be the first playoff game in Pittsburgh history where Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown will all play together. It’s true. One or more of these guys has missed. Bell has missed the Steelers’ last two postseason appearances with knee injuries. Last Brown missed Pittsburgh’s playoff game in the concussion protocol.
https://twitter.com/hannnwesss/status/817503838055735296
The Pick
There are only two teams that have a chance of keeping the Patriots out of Super Bowl 51 and the Steelers are easily the best option. That being said, they’ll have to do their work on the road after Sunday’s game, so this will be their last opportunity to pour it on in front of the home fans. They will. Steelers 37, Dolphins 13
Last Week
Straight up: 11-5
Against the spread: 9-7
Season
Straight up: 157-97-2
Against the spread: 124-28
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