Setting the Stage for the Week 7 Dolphins-Steelers Matchup
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The Miami Dolphins will look to improve to 4-3 on the season when they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday night.
Here's all the pertinent info for this Week 7 Dolphins-Steelers matchup:
MIAMI DOLPHINS (3-3) vs. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (2-4)
DATE: Sunday, Oct. 23
TIME: 8:20 p.m. ET
SITE: Hard Rock Stadium; Miami Gardens, Fla.
TV: NBC
Announcers: Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color analyst), Melissa Stark (sidelines)
STREAMING: fuboTV (start your free trial)
SI Sportsbook betting line: Dolphins by 7.5 (over/under 45.5)
Dolphins — CB Keion Crossen (knee) is doubtful; T Terron Armstead (toe), CB Xavien Howard (groin), CB Kader Kohou (oblique), T Greg Little (Achilles), DE Emmanuel Ogbah (back), TE Durham Smythe (hamstring), QB Skylar Thompson (thumb), WR Jaylen Waddle (shoulder) and DT Christian Wilkins (hand) are questionable.
Steelers — WR Steven Sims (hamstring) is out; CB Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring) is doubtful; CB James Pierre (hip) is listed as questionable.
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FOR EVEN MORE COVERAGE ON THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, CHECK OUT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S MIAMI DOLPHINS PAGE ON SI.COM
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Regular season series history: The Steelers lead 13-11
Last five meetings:
Oct. 28, 2019 at Pittsburgh (MNF) — Steelers 27, Dolphins 14
Oct. 16, 2016 at Miami — Dolphins 30, Steelers 15
Dec. 8, 2013 at Pittsburgh — Dolphins 34, Steelers 28
Oct. 24, 2010 at Miami — Steelers 23, Dolphins 22
Jan. 3, 2010 at Miami — Steelers 30, Dolphins 24
Dolphins' largest margin of victory: 24 (1984 at Pittsburgh; Dolphins 31, Steelers 7)
Dolphins' largest margin of defeat: 20 (1989 at Miami; Steelers 34, Dolphins 14)
Highest-scoring matchup: 64 points (1988 at Pittsburgh; Steelers 40, Dolphins 24)
Lowest-scoring matchup: 3 points (2007 at Pittsburgh; Steelers 3, Dolphins 0)
Former Steelers players with the Dolphins:
LB Melvin Ingram
Former Steelers coaches with the Dolphins:
None
Former Dolphins players with the Steelers:
S Minkah Fitzpatrick, OL Jesse Davis
Former Dolphins coaches with the Steelers:
Senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach Brian Flores
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STEELERS SCOUTING REPORT
The Steelers entered the 2022 season having never experienced a losing season since Mike Tomlin became their head coach in 2017 but also. with a major question mark at quarterback following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. That streak appears in jeopardy, in part because the Steelers already have made a switch at quarterback from journeyman Mitch Trubisky to rookie first-round pick Kenny Pickett but also they lost 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt for a couple of months in their stunning Week 1 victory at Cincinnati. The Steelers have overcome bad starts before, and perhaps their 20-18 victory against Tampa Bay — one week after a humiliating 38-3 loss at Buffalo left them with a 1-4 record — can serve as a springboard.
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THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN ...
That victory against Tampa Bay obviously wasn't overly convincing among oddsmakers, considering the Dolphins are 7.5-point favorites despite coming off three losses. The return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa figures to bring a spark to the offense, which will be facing a banged-up Steelers defense, even though former Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will be back in the lineup after missing the Tampa Bay game with a knee injury. On the flip side, Pickett's performance in two-plus games has been workmanlike at best, focusing on an awful lot of short throws, and the Dolphins defense is coming off a solid performance against Minnesota that was lacking the takeaway. This sets up as the perfect opportunity to finally get some turnovers, with Pickett having thrown three picks since replacing Trubisky at halftime of the Steelers' Week 4 loss against the New York Jets. Finally, the Dolphins have the intangibles in this game, not only with home-field advantage but also the inspiration of the 1972 team that will be honored at halftime.
THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL LOSE ...
It's becoming a frustrating replay for the Dolphins, but injuries continue to be a major concern. At full strength, there wouldn't seem to be a realistic scenario where the Dolphins could have issues in this game, but when you look at the list of key players listed as questionable — Terron Armstead, Xavien Howard, Christian Wilkins, Jaylen Waddle, Emmanuel Ogbah — it could become a factor. Armstead's presence has particular significance considering how poor the pass protection was against the Vikings and how Mike Tomlin's defenses have been known in years past to be able to find a way to attack quarterbacks. If you want to buy into intangibles, perhaps the return of Brian Flores to Miami can serve as extra motivation for the Steelers, though that angle probably would be overblown.
FINAL DOLPHINS-STEELERS PREDICTION
Despite the point spread, this just doesn't feel like a game where the Dolphins are going to coast, and that's largely due to their troubling injury list. While it's fair to assume or hope that most of the "questionable" players will play, there truly as some key players there whose absence could make a big difference. Along with Armstead, the Dolphins secondary just can't afford to be without Xavien Howard, particularly since the Steelers have quality wide receivers in Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and rookie George Pickens. Even with the injuries, we're not buying the Steelers as a typical Mike Tomlin Steelers team until proven otherwise, and the Dolphins still will find a way to win. But it won't be as easy as the point spread might indicate. Final score: Dolphins 23, Steelers 20.
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