On to Pittsburgh, and Can the Dolphins Finish Strong?

On to Pittsburgh, and Can the Dolphins Finish Strong?

After a dominant win over the Jets, the Miami Dolphins are heading to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers. The Dolphins are dominating on both sides of the ball and have won 5 of the last six games. They have tremendous momentum going into this game. Can they beat the Steelers and reach .500? Are they pretenders or a legitimate team?

This week’s game is going to show what this team is actually made of. It will be a Monday night game, in the cold, against a solid Steelers team with a winning record. The narrative against the Dolphins for years has been that they can’t win when it’s cold or against a team with a winning record.  They triumphed over the Bills (who have a winning record) and killed that narrative. Last weekend, they played the Jets in temperatures under 40 degrees. They don’t play well on the national stage, but won in Madrid. Clearly, they are not the team they were at the beginning of the season. 

The way this team is playing now is what fans and media expected much earlier in the season. If this Dolphins team had been playing at this level from the beginning, they might not have lost games against the Chargers and Panthers, which were lost in the last two minutes. They were trounced by a bad Browns team, largely because of their poor defense. This team could have 8 or 9 wins right now and be in the race for the Wild Card. 

The two biggest reasons for the turnaround are that the rookies are now hitting their stride and that the running game is successful. For the first seven games of this season, the defensive line was like Swiss cheese against the run. Since Week 8, Miami ranks eighth in rushing yards allowed per game with 100.

Previously, the defense was 32nd, allowing a disgraceful 159.3 rushing yards per game. Third-string running backs were racking up 100-yard-plus games like it was nothing. Now the defense is playing well and is keeping teams around 4 yards per carry. Devon Achane is becoming one of the top backs in the league. This is taking the heat off of a struggling Tua and wearing out opposing defenses. 

Apart from the Bills, the Dolphins have had a pretty soft schedule until now. A big win against the Jets is all well and good. However, this team needs to show that it can win against a quality opponent. The Steelers will do their best to stop Miami’s running game and force Tua to throw the ball in cold weather. Head Coach Mike Tomlin is fighting for his job in Pittsburgh. This week will test Achane, Tua, and Mike McDaniel, with the latter two fighting for their jobs as well. 

With the Bengals, Buccaneers, and Patriots completing the season, the Dolphins improved play could not have come at a better time. Is it too late? For the playoffs, probably. To show the world they are a physical team with a lot to build on for next season? Nope, not too late at all. This team needs to finish strong for their fans, their pride, and possibly for their jobs.