I want you to sit there and be honest…Are you over the Jets loss yet? I’m not. Players must make plays on both sides of the ball. First and foremost the Steelers must get healthy; I would sit both Troy and Holmes until there 100% or the playoffs start. I would begin adding wrinkles to this offense…My wrinkles would be personnel groupings on both sides of the ball…I would slide Heath Miller out in the slot at times, I would give Timmons and Woodley a package or two...The Steelers offensive line needs to do a far better job as a whole. The Steelers will make the playoffs…Mike Tomlin’s first season will be considered a success. When you’re sitting there being honest with yourself…You know the Steelers should be undefeated. This team was not prepared to play a road game since the opening day of the season (The Bengal’s suck).

The Steelers with the Ball.

The offensive line must improve…We all know that. The Steelers offense will continue being stagnant until they move defensive linemen and linebackers off the line of scrimmage. The play calling sucks. Arians needs to realize teams are not respecting the vertical passing game…Throw the ball until they move the eighth man out of the box. Heath Miller should catch 5-6 balls a game. Willie Parker seems lost…The Steelers offensive line sucks…That is no reason for Parker to lose his confidence. The Wr’s must make plays…No Holmes will be big this week…Nate Washington and Cedric Wilson must make plays in his absence. Ben is protecting the ball…I can’t complain about Ben. The Dolphins are a shitty defense. They show both 3-4 and 4-3 looks…With no Zach Thomas I expect the Dolphins to play more 4-3 then 3-4.

Matchups

Marvel Smith and Jason Taylor…Jason Taylor is a tall quick slippery pass rusher who doesn’t like to play the run. Marvel Smith’s play this season has been up and down…For the most part Marvel Smith has done as little as possible to get his man blocked…Marvel Smith is extremely lazy with his feet…Smith must explode off the ball and take the fight to Taylor in the run game. Smith must get into his pass set and move his feet when the Steelers throw the ball. I expect Smith to hold his own…The reality of things is Smith should dominate Taylor…I don’t see that happening

Vonnie Holiday and Alan Faneca…Faneca will dominate this matchup in the run game. Holiday was very effective playing the run on the edge…He doesn’t have the power or ability to anchor inside against the run. Holiday is a decent interior pass rusher…Faneca still struggles with power rushers who will take his inside shoulder…Faneca needs to flat out dominate this matchup…I expect Faneca to have a big game this week…Lets hope Faneca’s dominant play is contagious.

Sean Mahan and Keith Traylor….I expect the Dolphins to cock Traylor over top of that bum Mahan this week following the success Robertson had last week. Mahan won’t move Traylor in the run game…I believe Mahan has the ability to wall Traylor away from the play…Faneca and Simmons must win there matchups in a dominating manner if the Steelers expect to run the ball between the guards. Traylor is a slow fat sloth rushing the passer…Robertson is a very good interior rusher…I expect Mahan to have a solid but far from spectacular game.

Simmons and Traylor/ Wright…Simmons sucks…The Dolphins will have the tough choice of which bum Steelers linemen to cover in base fronts. Simmons has made some quality blocks on the move this season…He must win matchups at the line of scrimmage. Simmons must fold up inside linebackers in the run game; something he fails to do. Simmons play in pass pro has improved over the past 3 games…Lets hope Simmons’ balls drop and he starts playing with some passion.

Willie Colon and Matt Roth…Colon needs to play with a mean streak…Shawn Ellis took his heart last week against the run and pass. Colon should be able to dominate whoever the Dolphins line up across from him in the run game (Holiday Roth Taylor)…Colon needs to keep his head on a swivel in pass pro…He needs to trust his feet and his natural ability…When Colon is on his game in pass pro he slides his feet and stones the rusher when he loses confidence he begins to reach and grab exposing his chest and knocking himself off balance. Colon needs to dominate…He plays beside a bum that can not be an excuse…Colon also needs to realize he  has a 36 game starter breathing down his neck in Max Starks.

Skill position battles.

No Santonio Holmes limits the ability of the Steelers offense to attack defenses vertically down field. Nate Washington and Cedric Wilson must make plays for Ben…They need to run quality routes and catch the freaking ball. Mike Lehan the Dolphins corner who is expected to cover Washington and Wilson sucks…He can not open his hips and run…He is awful judging the ball in the air…The Steelers should target him early and often. Hines Ward will be covered by the ultra soft Will Allen. Hines should be able to run ball control routes against Allen all game long…Hines has too much heart size and machismo to be covered by Allen. The Dolphins nickel and dime corners are complete opposites…They both suck…Just for different reasons. Nickel corner Travis Daniels can’t run…He is slow reading routes and breaking on the ball…Dime Corner Andre Goodman is soft and tiny…He wants no parts of the physical game…I believe the Steelers can and will have success with multiple Wr packages against the Dolphins. The Dolphins will be missing emotional and physical leader Zach Thomas this week. Channing Crowder will replace Thomas…Crowder is great when unblocked…He can’t beat a block to save his life…Crowder is awful in coverage and struggles to tackle…He is the Dolphins answer to Larry Foote of the Steelers. Joey Porter has lost a step…We all know about Porter so I won’t waste your time speaking of his talents and deficiencies. Heath Miller should have a field day in this game…The Dolphins maybe forced to cover Miller with 2^nd year free safety Jason Allen…It wont work out for the Dolphins…Miller is too damn big for Allen. Cameron Worrell the starting strong safety for the Dolphins hits like a Mack truck.  He is very limited in coverage. Willie Parker needs to find his groove…The offensive line has sucked…Parker needs to run hard and slip some tackles. Ben needs to be Ben. The Steelers need to turn around their season…This is step one…The offensive line must dominate…The skill position players can not turn over the ball…That idiot Arians has to put players in positions to be successful.

Dolphins with the Ball.

The Dolphins offense sucks. Rookie quarterback John Beck takes on a Dick Lebeau led defense. Dolphins scat back Jesse Chatman has a bad ankle…He will be a game time decision… The Dolphins offense is so bad and lacking in talent that Ricky Williams could see some carries if Chatman can’t go. The Dolphins offense has one weapon that scares me…Ted Ginn Jr. That’s it.

Matchups

Vernon Carey and Brett Kiesel in the run game…Carey is what the Steelers hope Colon develops into…A stocky nasty mean wrecking ball. Carey is very quietly having a great season. I expect Carey to dominate this matchup both in the run game and in pass pro…Carey has allowed two sacks in ten starts…He dominated some quality defenders this season.

Carey and Harrison in Pass Pro…This is the heavyweight matchup…Both players are nasty men…This could be real ugly…Neither player will back down…I expect Harrison to get the edge once or twice…He won’t beat Carey up his chest or over the top…I would not be surprised if Harrison closes the deal once against Carey.

Chris Lewinski in the run game…Lewinski sucks…He really does… Lewinski will spend most of his day helping Satele with runs left… Lewinski struggles to get to the second level when he gets to the second level he struggles to block a moving target.

Lewinski and Kiesel in Pass Pro… I expect Kiesel to have a multiple sacks in this game…Kiesel has posted sacks in back to back games…Kiesel’s quickness will give Lewinski fits.

Samson Satele and Casey Hampton…The Big snack is taking some heat from last week…He should…Most people are missing the point though…Hampton must be able to play 70% of the defensive snaps in a game…He needs to be in good enough shape that the defensive staff has the faith to play him in the nickel and dime. Hampton should rag doll Satele all over the field…Hampton needs to wreck the line of scrimmage. Satele is a decent finesse center…He couldn’t block Hampton with a back hoe if Hampton comes to play.

Rex Hadnot in the run game…Hadnot is not the biggest man…He plays every down hard. Hadnot will spend most of his day helping Satele in the run game. Hadnot is a decent blocker on the move…James Farrior must keep his head on a swivel…Hadnot will knock his ass out if he catches Farrior napping.

Hadnot and Smith in Pass Pro…Aaron Smith needs to show up this week. Smith has been non existent rushing the passer…The only whiff he got last week drew a 15 yard penalty. Smith needs to place Hadnot in John Beck’s lap on every 5 step drop.

LJ Shelton and Aaron Smith in the run game… Shelton is built like and plays like an NBA power forward. Smith should dominate the matchup at the line of scrimmage. Shelton will not move Smith one step backwards in the run game if Smith is healthy. Smith has to beat the block and make plays.

LJ Shelton and Clark Haggans in Pass Pro… Shelton will engulf and shut down any Steelers edge rusher who is slow off the ball…Shelton is slow out of his stance…Shelton is slow getting into his pass set…Haggans needs to get off the ball…Then Haggans must attack Shelton’s outside shoulder clearing his hips…Then Haggans must close the deal. If Haggans is slow off the ball…Shelton will eat him up.

Skill position matchups.

The Dolphins have zero talent on offense. Not a single player scares me. If the Steelers tackle avoid penalties and mental errors…They will dominate every matchup. Farrior and Foote must beat blocks and tackle…Harrison and Haggans must seal the edge and beat blocks…The Corners can’t make dumb mistakes…Little Evil and Kill Switch must play aggressive but smart.

Special Teams.

Ted Ginn is a bad man…1 return for a Td…4 called back. The Steelers coverage units suck.

Score

Steelers 27

Dolphins 0