Key to this Miami game...

Couple more things i read on dolphins forum.

1. our defense aint that great, and dolphins D may actually be a little better

2. both teams at full health, phins would be a way better team(lol)

not sure why i do this to myself, as most fans are huge homers(including us), but thought I would share that.

They are right though, dolphins have nothing to lose.

Steelers are like 2-4 in wildcard games since 0-4. 0-2 at home

 

Keys to the game

Our run game vs their run game.

Turnovers.

 

Bell will have over 200yrds rushing, 3TDs.... 250yrds total.. this happens and the Steelers blow them out!!!

 

The only thing I'm a little worried about is EVERYONE is picking us to win and it worries me just a little bit. I don't like when all the sports shows have us already in the Divisional Round. I think we stuff Ajayi and make Moore beat us we definitely have this. Hopefully we're not listening to the outside voices saying we're going to walkover this team cause as we all remember they beat us pretty soundly last time. I'm sure they are ready for some payback!

 

There is absolutely no excuse for this Offense. They have everyone healthy for the first time in the playoffs.The Miami secondary is in shambles,it's totally on our O to make Miami one dimensional. Ben needs to throw to whoever is open and there will be guys open. Let them take AB away in the beginning and kill them with our other WRs who are more than capable. Not to mention Bell both rushing and out of the backfield receiving. Get rid of the football,if Ben starts holding it we will find ourselves in trouble.
Statistically a team like NE is considered a top D and it's not because they are so great,it's because their O puts so much pressure on the other team to keep up....that's how we should/need to be too.

 

"Statistically a team like NE is considered a top D and it's not because they are so great,it's because their O puts so much pressure on the other team to keep up.." This is so true, great observation!

 

Thanks.....but not really. It's a lot easier to defend a team when they are pretty much relegated to throwing the ball to try and get back in the game....

 

The key for me is never learning to spell Ajayi without looking it up first. I hope he's an afterthought.

My biggest fear is that he busts a big run early, and we get the "here we go again.." mindset which could become a self fulfilling prophecy.

I still have bad memories of Curtis Martin running wild on us in the fog...I don't want to re live that

That said, I don't see them being able to stop us, and I think we won going away

 

That fog game blew my mind, couldn't believe they televised it because you couldn't see anything.

 

This game comes down to two things, one for each side of the ball.

On offense Ben has already equated Bell to Terrel Davis and said they are going to ride him deep into the playoffs. So for the offense it is attacking the wide-9 (which everyone seems to be able to do) with Bell and short quick passes. If they can show they have mastered the concepts they will destroy the Dolphins defense.

On the defensive side of the ball they have to maintain their gaps and be patient. Don't fly to the line the moment the ball is snapped and fall for the motion of the line. If the Oline is selling a run to the right, hard, they have to stay in their gap and watch for the cut back. Ajayi isn't shifty so look for him to make his cut and then flow to the ball. Wrap him up and gang tackle him. Mitchell and the secondary can't try to blow him up, focus on the fundamental art if tackling and force them out of their run game. Lot of young guys seeing their first playoff action so I hope they play as a team remain calm and play their position.

Play as a team = great team win, play to be the hero and you could end up being the goat.

 

Here is a good read that I came across, I feel AB could have a field day and Bell should be able to run wild:

Defensively, the Dolphins have a problem tackling in the open field. Tom Brady threw for 276 yards against them in the regular-season finale with 201 of those yards coming after contact. Julian Edelman accounted for 114 of those yards after contact, with 77 of them coming on a touchdown against Kiko Alonso in primary coverage. In fact, Edelman’s eight catches for a career-high 151 yards against Miami earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Miami also gives up the most yards per carry between 5 and 10 yards past the line of scrimmage (1.46) and the tenth-most yards allowed per carry more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage (0.82).

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, features Le’Veon Bell in the backfield, who averaged three yards per carry after contact and forced 61 missed tackles (47 rushing, 14 receiving) this season. Only Miami’s Jay Ajayi created more misses (63), and Bell played three fewer games due to a suspension. Bell also led the league in yards after the catch (685).

Here we go........

 

Actually in 7 of ajayi last 8 games he never cracked a 100 yards rushing, the pats held him to just 59 yards in week 17, heres his season stats and a consistant 100 yard a game back he isn't:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AjayJa00.htm

 

Stop the run. Whether it's actually stopping it, or getting up on them early to where they are forced to pass. Either works. Either results in a win

 

Stop Ajayi. Offense needs to live up to its potential.

 

Shazier needs to stop missing so many tackles, bad technique not wrapping up. The Steelers need to win the turnover battle, get in their 4-5 WR sets the Dolphins can't cover them with all their injuries in the secondary.