Steelers 23 Dolphins 22

The blowout loss the Dolphins suffered against the Patriots three weeks ago was tough, but these type of loses are by far the hardest. Lets get the complaining over with, "the call" was beyond frustrating. Everyone knows who recovered that ball, even the refs, but because it wasn't completely obvious on the replay (even though CBS showed a snapshot of Alama-Francis with the ball out of the pile, and several players mentioned that the refs were calling "white ball, white ball, white ball" on the field) Pittsburgh retained possession.

First off, if the line judge does the right thing and lets that play continue it would have been Dolphins ball, no need for controversy. In that situation, once you recognize that there is a fumble on the field, you let it play out because if Big Ben had indeed scored, replay would have easily overturned the call on the field. Of course, though, were talking a decision that needs to happen in a split second, which is way easier said than done.

Secondly, even if the refs did stick to the rule book and "technically" get the call right, it's something that defies common sense and needs to be changed immediately. The final rule was that Roethlisberger fumbled the ball before crossing the plane. However, the ref said there was no clear cut proof that the Dolphins recovered, but that doesn't negate the fact that there was indeed a fumble. There was no proof that the Steelers had recovered either. That's why the league needs to allow the refs to go back to the officials who called Dolphins ball on the field once they have established that a fumble did take place under the hood.

Either that or allow the reviewing ref to make a judgment call when viewing the play over and over again from all sorts of different angles. We trust them to make judgement calls all game long with only a split second to decide, so why can't the refs give the ball to the team that appeared to recover the fumble when they have more than adequate amount of time to decipher who that team is. And in yesterday's case, it was clearly, decisively, conclusively the Dolphins.

Enough is enough with all of that talk, though, the Dolphins beat themselves yesterday. They did enough to win the game, but anytime you leave the door open for one horrible call to decide the outcome you have nobody to blame but yourself. And when looking at where the Dolphins went wrong yesterday, the redzone is where most of the blame should lie.

Five field goals. Five! That's completely unacceptable. I was happy to see Chad Henne pick apart one of the best defenses in football on one side of the field, but I think Dan Henning needs to trust him a little more on the opponents side of the fifty. Maybe not against teams that the Dolphins should beat, but against teams like the Steelers where you need to put up as many points as possible, let Henne air it out a little more in the redzone when it's obvious that you won't be able to run it in.

Anyway, I'm going to keep things short as usual after a loss. Just a dark day to be a Miami Dolphin fan. Take solace in the fact that we saw a lot of potential out of our quarterback and front seven defensively, but patience may become the key word around here. Yes, it's still too early to give up on this season, but sitting at 3-3 in this division and conference is just a tough spot to be in. I guess we will just have to wait and see how this team responds. This could be a back-breaking loss, or one that motivates an outstanding playoff run.

It's that time of week again. Time to sit down with a blogger of the opposing team and get a little insight into our enemy before Sunday's big game. After having to do some web surfing a week ago to find a Packers' blog, I had to look no further than Bloguin network to find a great Steelers site. Please welcome in Brian from Blitzburgh Blog. As always, head over to their site to see the questions I answered for them about the Dolphins sometime before Sunday's game.

Phins Phocus: What is the biggest difference between the Steelers team we saw in Week 17 last year that failed to make the playoffs and this year's team that is unanimously considered to be the best team in football right now? 

Blitzburgh Blog: Right now, the defense is healthy and playing well. In 2009, Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith were banged up. Bryant McFadden had departed for Arizona. Those losses meant the world to the Steelers defense. Late in games, the secondary was tired, unfocused, and generally untalented (Sorry Tyrone Carter, but you're just no Polamalu). The games they lost last year were all close games, usually decided by late game heroics, courtesy of the other team. Right now, the defense is playing 60 minutes of good football. The stars are back in the lineup, the role players are solid, and Lawrence Timmons has emerged as a dominant linebacker in the middle.

Phins Phocus: Since everyone is talking about it, we might as well too. What is your take on James Harrison's comments and the league's crackdown on violent hits?

Blitzburgh Blog: We're Steeler fans. We learn the names of our linebackers before we learn what a touchdown is. Nothing is more important to the diehard Steeler fan than big hits from a punishing defense. So naturally, we're pretty reactionary when it comes to changing the game to favor the offense. Right now, we're in total agreement with seemingly every NFL player. This will take the fun out of watching football. Still, we've dealt with rule changes before and we will again. Hopefully the defense will adjust and remain dominant. James Harrison and Ryan Clark will be affected the most, since they tend to be the biggest hitters.

Phins Phocus: How much is the offense about to open up with Ben Roethlisberger now back under center?

Blitzburgh Blog: Probably not as much as everyone's acting like it will. The offense is more committed to running the ball this year, and while we did see a few pretty passes against the Browns, that's all it was. A few pretty passes that took advantage of how well Mendenhall was running. It was a nice blueprint to see against a mostly non-existent defense, but more talented defenses will obviously force them into different situations.

Phins Phocus: If you were the Dolphins' offensive coordinator, how exactly would you go about moving the ball on the Steelers' defense?

Blitzburgh Blog: First thing's first, don't even bother trying to run. It doesn't work. Everyone keeps doing it, though. Ask Bud Grant how that worked out in Superbowl IX. No, if the Steelers have a weakness, it is the pass defense. Specifically, checkdowns to shifty running backs. The linebackers have been known to take bad angles here and there and running backs (by "running backs" I mean "Ray Rice") can pick up some major yards when a play has broken down. That, and somehow every week a wide receiver whose own mother hasn't heard of him always manages like 3 catches for 40 yards, or so it seems.

Phins Phocus: Finally, who do you see winning Sunday and why? Final Score?

Blitzburgh Blog: To conclude all my Steeler-ranting, I'll be the homer and predict the Steelers to win 21-16. It's a weak prediction, but I only really say it because I really don't know what to expect from Miami. Literally, it's hard to tell how good they are. Everything I've seen from them makes them look competitive, but I think competitive teams are beatable for the Steelers. Definitely not a game to overlook, though, and I wouldn't be particularly shocked if the Phins pull out a close victory. Disappointed, but not shocked. Still, I expect the Steelers to win despite never meeting the Pittsburgh fan base’s lofty expectations.

Dolphins passing attack: 232.2 pass ypg (13th)
Steelers passing attack: 160.2 pass ypg (28th)
Dolphins pass defense: 201.8 pass ypg (12th)
Steelers pass defense: 233.0 pass ypg (24th)

Dolphins passing stats
C. Henne: 107-170, 62.9%, 1,195 yards 7 TD's 5 INT's
B. Marshall: 37 rec, 467 yards, 1 TD
D. Bess: 26 rec, 282 yards, 2 TD's

Steelers passing stats
C. Batch: 29-49, 352 yards, 59.2%, 3 TD's 3 INT
B. Roethlisberger: 16-27, 257 yards, 59.3%, 3 TD's 1 INT
M. Wallace: 12 rec, 301 yards, 3 TD's
Hines Ward: 17 rec, 219 yards, 2 TD's

Now on to the more optimistic element of Sunday's game. Yes, things would be even more upbeat if Roethlisberger's six game suspension would have held up, but on paper the Dolphins actually have the advantage here, both offensively and defensively. Of course, the game is not played on paper.

If the Steelers were really an easy to team to throw on, their defense wouldn't be clearly the league's most dominate unit five games in. And obviously, with Roethlisberger back, they are going to drastically improve that 28th overall passing game. Still though, if your looking for a reason to believe the Dolphins can knock off the Steelers for their first home win of the season, this is it.

Steelers passing attack vs. Dolphins secondary
It's really tough to get a feel for this Dolphins' secondary right now. Vontae Davis has been the most consistent, but was finally exposed in Green Bay on that 86-yard Jennings' touchdown. On the other side, Jason Allen has been either hit or miss every week. Safety wise, Chris Clemons has disappeared ever since his solid performance in Week 1 and Yeremiah Bell is better off playing inside the box than trying to cover.

The key match-up will undoubtedly be Vontae Davis vs. Mike Wallace. I'm confident that what we saw in the first four games is a sign of things to come from Vontae, but the speedy receivers, like Wallace, usually give him the most trouble. Jennings beating him deep this past Sunday is the most recent example of that.

Davis is a physical corner, and matches up better with physical receivers. But the Dolphins like to keep their corners on one side of the field, and the Steelers like to move their receivers around quite a bit, so we should see bothDavis and Allen getting opportunities to cover Wallace and Hines Ward.

Like I said a couple days ago, though, the key to stopping the Steelers' play-action passing game isstopping Reshard Mendenahll and their running game. And we know the key to that will be Cameron Wake and Koa Misi successfully setting the edge.

But just like every week, Wake and Misi getting after the quarterback may serve as the Dolphins' best pass defense. Hopefully, the momentum from the three sacks Wake registered against the Packers will carry over to this week, and hopefully Misi continues his trend of improving each and every game.
Edge: Push

Dolphins passing attack vs. Steelers secondary
When Dan Henning knew the Dolphins wouldn't be able to run the ball consistently against the Jets in Week 3, he completely opened up the playbook and let Henne air it out 44 times. Yes, the Dolphins lost that game, but you can't blame that on the offense.

There were times where they relied too heavily on the pass, and should of at least attempted to keep the defense honest. Personally, I would like to see the Dolphins try to unleash a balanced attack every week. But against the Steelers, they will most likely just be hitting their heads against a wall all game long and will find themselves in way too many third and longs.

I'm not saying let Henne throw close to 50 times again either. But I think they need to spread it out a little bit early on and take some shots down field in order to get that aggressive defense back on their heels.

If they find success moving the ball through the air and Henne is able to avoid the costly mistakes, then you come back to the run once the Steelers start respecting Henne a little more. Yes, a lot of ifs for that formula to work, but unfortunately that's just how good this Steelers defense is.

Match-up wise, Brandon Marshall versus the physical Ike Taylor will be key. At 6'2, Taylor is the prototypical corner for covering Marshall, but let's be honest here, nobody can single cover Marshall with any sort of consistency.

The Steelers will likely double-team Marshall on most passing downs, so opportunities will once again present themselves for Davone Bess to eat up receptions underneath. If the Dolphins want to take some shots with Marshall, they would be wise to do so on first and second down when the Steelers may employ some single coverage.

Let's remember too, if the Dolphins are going to open things up a bit, keeping Henne clean will be crucial. Jake Long will have his hands full against James Harrison, and LaMarr Woodley could present problems for Vernon Carey on the other side.

At the end of the day, though, it's all going to comeback to Henne. If he plays miskate free football, the Dolphins are going to be in this game.
Edge: Dolphins

Dolphins Special-Teams
Kicking
Dan Carpenter: 8-10 FG's, Long 53
Punting
Brandon Fields: 41.0 average, 11 IN20, Long 68, 2 punts blocked
Punt Return
Davone Bess: 5 returns, 12.8 yard average, Long 18
Kick Return
Nolan Carroll: 7 returns, 26.3 yard average, Long 37
Patrick Cobbs: 7 returns, 21.9 yard average, Long 30
Punt Coverage: 11 returns, 5.4 yard average, Long 19
Kickoff Coverage: 15 returns, 30.5 yard average, Long 103, 1 TD

Steelers Special-Teams
Kicking
Jeff Reed: 8-12 FG's, Long 52
Punting
Daniel Sepulveda: 46.7 yard average, 6 IN20, Long 62
Punt Return
Antwaan Randle El: 9 returns, 3.4 yard average, Long 8
Kick Return
Antonio Brown: 7 returns, 31.3 yard average, Long 89, 1 TD
Emmanuel Sanders: 3 returns, 20.3 yard average, Long 23
Punt Coverage: 9 returns, 9.1 yard average, Long 38
Kickoff Coverage: 21 returns, 21.3 yard average, Long 37

Sunday was a great bounce back performance from this now Darren Rizi led unit. The solid returns from Carroll, the great coverage by the kickoff team, and the composure of Dan Carpenter to nail a 53-yard field goal before half and later kick the game-winner in overtime highlighted an encouraging first day on the job for the Dolphins' new special-teams coach.

Still though, there was plenty to work on. The recently booted Bobby Carpenter missed a blocking assignment which almost cost the Dolphins big, as the punt was merely deflected but could have easily been blocked. Also, bad call or not, the holding penalty near the end of the half on Dan Carpenter's 43-yard field goal try probably would have cost the Dolphins 3 points if they didn't have a Pro Bowl kicker.

Against an elite team like the Steelers, you must play mistake free football to pull of an upset. Things like missed blocking assignments, missed tackles, and poor angles on special-teams would surely cost the Dolphins any chance of picking up their first home win of the year.

Unlike last week, the Dolphins will have to kick to a dangerous return man. Antonio Brown is boasting a scary 31.3 yards per kickoff return and has already taken one back to the house this season.

On the other side, I have a feeling Nolan Carroll is due for a big return any week now. He appeared inches away from breaking off a big return last week, but the Steelers have been pretty stout in kickoff coverage so far.

One thing is for sure, though, because it figures to be tough sleeding moving the ball on the Steelers' dominate defense, the Dolphins could sure use a big play from their special-teams. Whether it be a big return or a blocked punt/kick, anything that helps in the field position battle or produces a score could make the difference in a game like this.
Edge: Steelers

In a disappointing turn of events, it appears the Dolphins' first round pick Jared Odrick will miss the remainder of the season with a broken leg. It has not yet been specified whether or not Odrick reaggravated his broken fibula or if this is another injury entirely.

Tough blow for this defense, which will likely have to go the rest of the season with Paul Soliai at nose tackle and Randy Starks at defensive end. I'm not overly concerned with the front three with that lineup, but Odrick was flashing an awful lot of potential early on and Starks looked the part of a true nose tackle in the middle.