Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers Matchup Preview 10/28/19: Analysis, Depth Charts, Daily Fantasy
Contents
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The Miami Dolphins are flying into Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers this upcoming Monday night. The Dolphins have been one of the bottom teams in the league throughout the season, many people believing they’re purposefully tanking in order to get the first pick of the draft. However, if the Dolphins beat the Steelers, their draft outcome actually looks better, as they have the Steelers first round pick as well, and can still snag the first overall pick if they lose out from here. The Steelers are expecting to have Mason Rudolph back this week. Rudolph has been playing pretty well, and has an average passer rating of 102.5, but hasn’t had a huge breakout game this season. This is going to be a great opportunity for him to get one. The Steelers are the heavy favorites in this matchup, but you never know when Ryan Fitzpatrick is going to turn on the Fitzmagic. Click here for more details and betting information on the Miami Dolphins @ Pittsburgh Steelers matchup.
TV Schedule
Date: Monday, October 28th, 2019
Time: 5:15 PM PST
Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Coverage: ESPN
Injury Report
Dolphins: Bobby McCain (Q), Chris Lammons (Q), Trent Harris (Q), Reshad Jones (Q), Avery Moss (Q), Xavien Howard (Q), Daniel Kilgore (Q)
Steelers: Mark Barron (Q), Ben Rothlesberger (O), Stephon Tuitt (O), Sean Davis (O), Lavon Hooks (O)
Miami Dolphins Analysis:
I tend to try to be fair and somewhat positive in my analysis, but there isn’t a lot of positive things to say about the Dolphins this year. Their offense is tied for worst in average points per game with 10.5 and 2nd worst in yards per game with 258.7 on average, beating out only the Jets. Their offensive line has been a big problem for them this year. The Dolphins pass protection has allowed 24 sacks on the year, which is the 4th most in the league. This is especially bad considering they’re going up against a Steelers defense with the 5th most sacks in the league. The Dolphins have another tough offensive matchup against the Steelers defense. Fitzpatrick has thrown 5 interceptions on the year, and the Dolphins as a whole have the 4th most turnovers in the league with 13. The Steelers are rated 2nd in the league for takeaways, a stat which should be really scaring the Dolphins right now.
The Dolphins defense hasn’t looked much greater than their offense. Miami’s pass defense is almost bottom 10 in passing yards allowed per game with 256.5. They’re also tied for last in interceptions with only one on the year, and have allowed a 127.9 passer rating on average, the highest among defenses this season. They’re pretty similarly bottom-ranked against the rush. This isn’t looking good considering the Steelers are coming off of a bye and will be extra rested. Plus, they’ll be getting Mason Rudolph back, who should give their offense a boost. It’s hard to know what the Dolphins can do on defense to win this game, as their stats predict a loss. However, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, and despite the Steelers being heavy, heavy favorites, you never know what the Dolphins could pull off on Monday.
Miami Dolphins Depth Chart
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick
RB1: Kenyan Drake
RB2: Kalen Ballage
WR1: DeVante Parker
WR2: Jakeem Grant
WR3: Albert Wilson
TE: Nick O’Leary
Pittsburgh Steelers Analysis:
The Steelers started off the year 0-3, really disappointing a lot of fans. They fell into more disappointment when Rothlesberger was deemed out for the season with an elbow injury, and shortly after, Mason Rudolph was deemed out for a couple of weeks due to a concussion. They’re expecting Rudolph back this week, which is going to give their offense a big boost against Miami. I’m expecting that Rudolph is trying his hardest to get back out on the field for Monday, as he knows he has potential to have a huge game against the Miami secondary. Rudolph has seven touchdowns, two interceptions, and an average passer rating 102.5 on the year. He’s clearly been playing well, but he hasn’t had a breakout game yet. I’m expecting a big game for Mason Rudolph on Monday against the Dolphins, especially with weapons like JuJu on offense.
If the Steelers’ offense isn’t going to win them the game, their defense will. As stated previously, the Steelers have a pretty great defensive matchup this week. Their defense has gotten 15 takeaways on the year, 2nd most in the league. This stat is looking great against the Dolphins, who have turned over the ball 13 times this season, the 4th most among all teams. Furthermore, the Steelers pass rush has been great this year, with 20 sacks on the season (5th most in the league). The Dolphins have allowed 24 sacks this year, so I’m expecting T.J. Watt and the Steelers pass rush to have a field day against the Dolphins. Despite a strong pass rush, the Steelers pass defense has been a little weak in yards allowed with 244.2 allowed per game. I don’t think this is going to be a problem for them against the Dolphins, but Fitzpatrick has shown he’s capable of making magic happen before. The Steelers are heavy favorite, and I’m expecting them to win the game on both sides of the ball this Monday.
Pittsburgh Steelers Depth Chart
QB: Mason Rudolph
RB1: James Conner
RB2: Benny Snell
WR1: JuJu Smith-Schuster
WR2: Donte Moncrief
WR3: James Washington
TE: Vance McDonald
Daily Fantasy
I’d heavily consider picking up the Steelers defense for this game. Defenses have been scoring a lot of fantasy points this season, and the Steelers have a fantastic matchup. I’m expecting a ton of takeaways and a ton of sacks this game. The Steelers defense could very well end up with points in the teens or maybe even the 20s, and is a great pickup if you’re looking for an extra boost this week. I’d also recommend possibly picking up Mason Rudolph, who is most likely available in your league. He’s been consistent on the year, but hasn’t put up any astounding numbers. I’m expecting that to change this Monday, and I’m sure Rudolph is too. The Dolphins pass defense, as discussed earlier, has been pretty weak and therefore Rudolph’s chances at a great game are pretty high. I wouldn’t recommend picking up anybody on the Dolphins, as I’m expecting them to have a hard time getting through the Steelers defense.