Matt's Stats: Week 15 vs. Dolphins

SERIES HISTORY

The Steelers and Dolphins have met 29 times. Pittsburgh has won 15 of those 29. In the playoffs, Miami and Pittsburgh have done battle on only four occasions. The first time these teams met was in 1971 with Miami winning the first three games of the series. The Steelers quickly countered, winning three in a row. But then the Dolphins went on a five-game winning streak. Pittsburgh then won 10 of the next 13 games. Miami won the most recent meeting in 2022. Mike Tomlin is 5-3 in his career against Miami.

MATCHUP OVERVIEW

• Miami is on a four-game winning streak and have won five of six after starting the season 1-6, but they are 2-4 on the road. The Steelers are 3-3 at Acrisure Stadium this season. Within the AFC, Miami is 3-6 compared to 6-3 for the Steelers.
• Tomlin is 21-3 on Monday Night Football. The Steelers have won 22 straight home games on Monday Night.
• The Dolphins are 6-0 when allowing 21 or fewer points this season and 0-7 in games when they allow 22 points or more.
• The Steelers have a +9-turnover differential (third best) compared to -1 by Miami. Only the Bears have more takeaways than Pittsburgh. The Steelers have 12 takeaways via fumble. Miami has 10. That is first and second most. The Dolphins 18 giveaways are only less than five teams and only the Vikings have thrown more interceptions.
• Miami held the ball for 36:07 against the Jets while Pittsburgh held the ball for just 26:16 last week.
• Miami has a +3-sack differential compared to +14 for the Steelers.
• The Steelers defense gives up the sixth most yards per drive (35.7). Miami's gives up the fifth most (36.0).
• Miami games have the fewest total plays run per game (116.6) in the NFL.
• Pittsburgh's opponents have produced 73 more first downs, 469 more rushing yards, and produced 1,185 more yards from scrimmage than the Steelers.
• The Dolphins blitz at a 32.4% clip. Pittsburgh is at 32.0%. That is the third and fourth highest in the league.
• Miami's has the league's best explosive run rate (7.6%). Pittsburgh is 31^st (2.4%). Miami's defense is 30^th in explosive run rate allowed (7.7%). Pittsburgh's is 24^th (6.0%).
• The Steelers defense has batted down a league-high 20 passes. Miami's defense has batted down just two, a league low.
• Pittsburgh's red zone defense (52.1%) ranks seventh. Miami's (48.9%) ranks fourth.
• Miami is 26^th in fourth down defense (66.7%). Pittsburgh is 31^st (75.0%).
• Miami has been penalized 75 times compared to 80 for Pittsburgh. That is the seventh and ninth fewest respectively.
• The Dolphins produce 2.1 points in the third quarter of games, lowest in the league. They produce 9.2 in the second half, better than only five teams.
• Miami allows just 3.7 points in the first quarter of games, sixth best. But the Dolphins are 27^th in third quarter points allowed (6.0) and 24^th in fourth quarter points allowed (7.7). The Dolphins are fourth best in first half points allowed (9.1), but 30^th in second half points allowed (13.7).
• Pittsburgh gives up 10.1 points in the fourth quarter of games. They allow 14.7 points in the second half of games, better than only Cincinnati. Pittsburgh produces 13.0 points in the first half of games, seventh most.
• The Steelers have led at halftime in 10 games this season, second most.
• Miami is 1-7 in games they have trailed at any point.
• The Steelers now have two games in which they failed to reach 40 rushing yards and still won the game. They are the only team in the league to accomplish this even once.
• The Steelers have had a 13-day rest disadvantage over the past four weeks: Cincinnati off a bye (-7), Buffalo and Baltimore off a Thursday game (-3 each).
• Since 2000, the Dolphins are 6-13 when playing in temperatures under 32 degrees. In their past 10 games in below freezing temperatures, they are 1-9 with the lone win in Pittsburgh in December of 2013. Last week was the first game Tua Tagovailoa won when the temperature was under 45 degrees. He was previously 0-6 in games under 45 degrees and 1-8 in games under 50 degrees at kickoff.

WHEN PITTSBURGH HAS THE BALL

• The Steelers average 5.2 yards per play and produced 6.2 yards per play last week, while Miami allowed just 3.6. For the season Miami allows 5.6, but they sit at 4.6 over their past three games.
• Pittsburgh is throwing the ball at a 58.2% clip, 12^th highest.
• The Steelers utilize 11 Personnel just 33.6% of their snaps, 12 Personnel for 29.4%, and 13 Personnel for 16.6%. Only the Ravens use 11 Personnel less. That is the 10^th highest percentage of 12 Personnel usage. The Rams are the only offense that employs a higher percentage of 13 Personnel. The Steelers have multiple tight ends on the field (54.5%) at a higher rate than any other offense. Pittsburgh has an extra offensive lineman on the field for 16.2% of their snaps.
• During their four-game winning streak, Miami is giving up just 13.3 points per game (fewest in the league during that time). They allowed 27.0 points per game from Weeks 1-9.
• Miami's defense gives up the eighth most points per drive (2.39). However, over their past eight games, that number drops to 1.59, fourth best during that time.
• Only five offenses produce fewer plays per drive (5.7) than Pittsburgh and only three offenses hold the ball less (161.2 seconds) per drive.
• Pittsburgh turns a set of downs into a new set of downs or a touchdown 69% of the time. League average is 71%. Miami's defense is at 73%, better than only five defenses.
• Miami allows the highest completion rate (69.9%) in the league.
• Aaron Rodgers threw for 284 yards last week. He completed four passes of 20+ yards downfield, his most in a game this season.
• DK Metcalf had a season high 148 receiving yards in Baltimore. His 36.4% target share was also his highest since joining the team.
• Metcalf ran 33 of a possible 35 routes against the Ravens. Next at wide receiver was Calvin Austin and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, both at 16 routes run. Adam Thielen ran 11 routes in his Steelers debut.
• Darnell Washington was on the field for 15 of the first 16 plays last week.
• Among all running backs that have run at least 50 routes, Kenneth Gainwell is fifth in targets per route run (.28) and Jaylen Warren is eighth (.26).
• Rodgers wasn't sacked last week. Miami had six sacks in New York last week, 2.5 of them from Zach Sieler.
• The Steelers have lost 142 just yards from taking sacks, sixth lowest.
• The Steelers are blitzed at just a 22.0% rate. Only the 49ers face a lower percentage of blitz.
• Pittsburgh averages 89.2 rushing yards per game, better than only the Raiders, Titans, and Bengals. Their 3.87 yards per carry is only better than four offenses. The Steelers explosive run rate (2.3%) is only better than Las Vegas.
• Miami's defense gives up 131.9 rushing yards per game, seventh most. They also allow the fifth highest yards per carry (4.75) and the third highest explosive run rate (7.5%). Miami allows 2.48 rushing yards after contact per attempt, better than only the Giants and Bills.
• Miami held the Jets to 65 yards on the ground last week.
• Pittsburgh's red zone offense (64.1%) is seventh best.

WHEN MIAMI HAS THE BALL

• The Dolphins average 5.4 yards per play and produced 5.7 yards per play last week. Pittsburgh's defense gives up 5.4 yards per play.
• The Dolphins are throwing the ball 54.7% of the time (19^th), but only 40.9% over their past three games.
• The Dolphins utilize 11 Personnel on 41.1% of their snaps, 12 Personnel at 9.4%, 21 Personnel at 25.7%, and 22 Personnel 8.3%. Only three offenses use 11 Personnel less only two offenses use 12 Personnel less. Only the 49ers use a higher percentage of 21 Personnel and only five offenses use 22 Personnel more. The Dolphins have multiple running backs on the field (43.5%) more than any other offense. Miami has an extra offensive lineman on the field 10.9% of the time.
• Miami uses motion on 68.4% of their offensive snaps, highest in the league.
• Pittsburgh's defense forces a punt at the league's seventh lowest rate on a per drive basis. The Steelers defense also allows the most plays per drive (6.9).
• Miami turns a set of downs into a new set of downs or a touchdown 70% of the time. League average is 71%. The Steelers defense is at 73%, better than only five defenses.
• Miami scored 34 points last week despite Tua Tagovailoa throwing for just 127 yards.
• Only the Jets (169.6) and Titans (189.8) produce fewer passing yards per game than Miami (192.3). Pittsburgh's defense gives up 261.2 passing yards per game.
• During this Dolphins four game winning streak, Tagovailoa is averaging just 157 passing yards on 21.25 pass attempts per game. He has topped 26 attempts just once in his last seven games.
• Pittsburgh's defense now has a streak of five straight games allowing fewer than 230 passing yards.
• Jaylen Waddle has now hit at least a 30% target share in four straight games and has at least a 20% target share in eight of his last nine games. Since Week 5, Waddle ranks fifth in yards per route run (2.94) and since Tyreek Hill's injury, Waddle has reached 50+ receiving yards in seven of nine games.
• Over their past five games, 48.7% of Miami's yardage has come via passing. They are the only team under 50% during that span.
• Tagovailoa has thrown 14 interceptions this year, tied with Geno Smith for most in the NFL. He has four games with two or more interceptions, tied with JJ McCarthy for most such games.
• Pittsburgh has 10 different players with at least one interception (most in the NFL).
• The Dolphins average 4.94 yards per carry, fifth best. Their explosive run rate (7.5%) is best in the league. Only the Cowboys average more rushing yards after contact per attempt and only three offenses average more rushing yards before contact per attempt than the Dolphins.
• Pittsburgh's defense allows 2.19 rushing yards before contact per attempt, better than only four defenses.
• Since Week 10, Pittsburgh is allowing 157.0 rushing yards per game (30^th).
• Miami ran for 239 yards last week and the Steelers gave up 217 yards on the ground in Week 14. The Dolphins have recorded 160+ rushing yards in each of their last four games. Miami averages 192.3 rushing yards per game since Week 10. This is the first time the Dolphins have rushed for 160+ yards in four straight games since 1977. The Dolphins have 32 runs of 10+ yards since Week 8, most in the league.
• De'Von Achane only had seven carries before his second quarter rib injury last week, but made it count by producing 92 rushing yards. In his stead, Jaylen Wright received 24 carries and racked up 107 rushing yards against the Jets. Wright played 70% of the snaps and got 81% of the backfield carries after Achane left the game.
• Achane leads the NFL with 5.8 yards per carry and 4.4 yards after contact. Only Jonathan Taylor and James Cook have more rushing yards. Achane has 100+ scrimmage yards in five straight games and he leads the NFL with 147.0 scrimmage yards per game since Week 9.
• Achane has accounted for 68.5% of Miami's rushing yards and the Dolphins have only gotten 42 rushing yards from Tagovailoa. Over his past six games, Tagovailoa has just four total rushing yards.
• With Derrick Harmon in the lineup, Pittsburgh has allowed 96.0 rushing yards per game. Without Harmon, that spikes to 191.2 rushing yards per game.
• Miami is converting 36.2% of their third downs, 25^th in the league. The Steelers defense is allowing a 43.2% conversion rate, 27^th in the league. Since Week 9, Miami is converting third downs at a 26.9% rate, 31^st in the league.
• Cameron Heyward leads on interior defensive linemen in snaps played this season with 667. That is 71.2% of the Steelers defensive snaps.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• The Steelers special teams snap count leaders this year are as follows: Jack Sawyer (272), Payton Wilson (250), Ben Skowronek (248), Connor Heyward (223), and Carson Bruener (220). No other Steelers player has played more than 164 (James Pierre) special teams snaps.
• The Dolphins have only made one field goal this season from 50+ yards. The Steelers have only missed one such field goal in eight tries.
• Miami only has one touchback on a punt this season. Pittsburgh has two.
• The Steelers average kickoff return is 23.7 yards, better than only Atlanta and Cleveland.
• The Dolphins average punt return is 14.6 yards, fourth highest.

KEY MATCHUPS

Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers vs. Dolphins SAF Minkah Fitzpatrick-The former Steelers star returns to Pittsburgh for a prime-time battle. Fitzpatrick has an expansive skill set and can be used in a multitude of ways. It will be on Rodgers, who is coming off maybe his best game in a Steelers uniform, to identify Fitzpatrick's intentions and responsibilities on every play.

Steelers Linebackers vs. Dolphins RB DeVon Achane-Achane left last week's game midway through the second quarter with a rib injury and didn't return with Miami having a big lead at the time. He should be available for this game on Monday Night. Achane is the foundation of Miami's offense, which has now become very reliant on the run game. But Achane is also an extremely dangerous and effective receiving option as well.