The Miami Dolphins come into Heinz Field to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. It may not be the marquee game the organizers had in mind, as both teams have established themselves as non-contenders. But it’s a very interesting betting game nonetheless. Last week, the Steelers were off, getting to rest their legs after a trying first six games of the season. They have started to show some life, scoring a nice 24-17 road-win over the Chargers before the bye. The ‘Fins, meanwhile, were able to show some life last week, leading Buffalo for much of the game before collapsing late once again and falling to a 31-21 defeat.
New Life For Pittsburgh
This season hasn’t been kind to the Steelers. Between all the departures, injuries, and inconsistent play, it was shaping up to be a disaster. As of their last game, they are down to their third-string QB, an undrafted rookie. The stars that littered their offense are now gone. Despite that, they have started to show a lot of moxie. Winning two of three after an 0-3 start is a good sign. And for bettors, they have been delivering, covering each of their last four point spreads.
One should expect the time off to help Pittsburgh QB Mason Rudolph get back in there, as he offers slightly more promise behind center than Devlin Hodges, who did a nice job in relief. What better way to ease back into action than going against the worst defense in the league, as he will do this week? While their offense hasn’t thrived against good teams perhaps, look for RB James Conner (questionable), WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, and all of Pittsburgh’s top weapons to have some of their more productive games of the season in this game against a suffering Miami “D.”
Steelers Defense Back on Point
At the beginning of the season, the Steelers’ defense had apparently regressed. Perhaps it was all the drama on the other side of the ball and how they were being left out to dry. Whatever the case, they have given up a combined 46 points in their last three games and are looking very stout, with a major playmaking element. Against the languid and mistake-prone Miami offense, this is a spot where they can have a really productive game. With youngsters TJ Watt (questionable) and rookie Devin Bush, this could be one of the more-impactful linebacker crews the Steelers have had in a while. In the secondary, Joe Haden (questionable), Artie Burns, and newly-added Minkah Fitzpatrick are starting to gel and make plays. It’s just hard to forecast this anemic Miami offense thriving in any way against a rested and peaking Steelers’ home-defense.
More at Stake for the Steelers
In a turbulent division, the Steelers are still in it. With the Browns and Bengals floundering, only Baltimore is above them, and anything can happen. It seemed like anything good this season was out of reach a few weeks ago, but with a chance to go to one game from .500 against the worst team in football should put a little extra wind in their sails, as they would actually have a chance to turn this around.
A Slight Turn for Miami
We have to be careful not to lock in perceptions on teams permanently. Sure, Miami is horrible. It’s hard to find bright spots. At the same time, almost beating the Redskins the previous week and leading Buffalo until the last quarter shows that they’re perhaps ready to emerge from joke-status. With two straight covers, it’s time to acknowledge a slight uptick.
Against Buffalo, Miami QB Ryan Fitzpatrick moved the offense well, with Preston Brown, DeVante Parker, and Allen Hurns showing their chops on Sunday. Fitzpatrick and Kalen Ballage ran in TD scores, while Mark Walton and Kenyan Drake were able to make some meaningful progress on the ground. The “D” also looked a little better, despite showing little resistance late. With the Bills running back a kick for a TD, the defense allowed just 24 points, held Josh Allen to just over 200 yards, and even applied some heat up front for a change.
- Get more details: Miami at Pittsburgh NFL Match-up Stats
