AFC Wild Card 2017, Dolphins vs. Steelers: Recap, Highlights, More

The Miami Dolphins first foray into the playoffs in nearly a decade could not have gone much worse, as the Pittsburgh Steelers roll to a 30-12 victory.

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Everything that could go wrong for the Miami Dolphins did in Sunday’s AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The running game, which was so strong in the first matchup between these two teams, could not get going. The Dolphins committed silly penalties and costly turnovers. The linebackers and defensive backs missed key tackles that sprung long touchdowns. It was a comedy of errors for the Dolphins in their first playoff game in eight years.

The Pittsburgh Steelers came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. They set the tone for the game early, and they never looked back. Ben Roethlisberger had a typical “Big Ben” game, spreading the ball around the field at will. His two favorite targets, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, ate the Dolphins defense for lunch, each scoring and breaking open big plays early on. From the very beginning this was the Steelers game to lose, and they weren’t going to have any of that.

As the Dolphins season comes to a close and they begin their offseason preparations, the Pittsburgh Steelers advance and head to a showdown against the AFC West champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Three Stars

Le’Veon Bell, Steelers – Anytime you can surpass a record held by a Hall of Fame player, you’ve done something remarkable. That’s exactly what Le’Veon Bell accomplished today, in his very first playoff game. With 29 carries for 167 yards, Bell broke the Steelers all-time single-game rushing record, held by Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris.

Bell’s patient running style, combined with the defense’s inability to tackle proved to be a fatal combination for the Dolphins. Bell exposed the Dolphins second and third levels, and let his offensive line take care of the rest.

Antonio Brown, Steelers – Coming into today’s game, Antonio Brown has been long-established as one of the best receivers in the NFL. He’s had back-to-back 100 yard receiving efforts in the playoffs. But he had never scored a touchdown in the playoffs. Six career playoff games, zero touchdowns.

That is no longer the case, as Brown put that stat to bed less than three minutes into the first quarter. Brown hooked up with Roethlisberger for a 50-yard touchdown. Brown wasn’t content, though, adding a 62-yard touchdown catch less than six minutes later. With two touchdown catches of over 50 yards, Brown became the first player since Randy Moss in 2000 to accomplish such a feat.

James Harrison, Steelers – James Harrison just does not seem to age. The 38-year-old pass rusher is playing better in his 14th season in the league than most players 10-15 years younger. Harrison set the tone for the Steelers defense early, and his intensity and leadership led the Steelers to a dominating performance against Matt Moore and the Dolphins.

Harrison became the second-oldest player, behind only Junior Seau, to record a sack in a playoff game when he turned the corner and laid a big hit on Moore, jarring the ball loose. The fumble came on a drive that had Miami’s offense clicking and potentially could have turned the game around for the Dolphins. Instead, the fumble propelled the Steelers to a dominating performance. Harrison would add another half-sack, and six solo tackles.

Highlights

Next Week

The season comes to a close for the Miami Dolphins and ends in disappointment. But Sunday’s loss should not overshadow what an accomplishment this season has been for the Dolphins. They came into the season with a rookie head coach, started the season 1-4, and still qualified for the playoffs. What has been accomplished in the first year of the Gase regime should not be discounted by this loss.

The Pittsburgh Steelers survive their first test of the 2016 playoffs in comfortable fashion. They now get to prepare to go on the road and face the winners of the NFL’s toughest division, the Kansas City Chiefs. Next week’s game won’t be a repeat of today’s performance. Kansas City is a much more well-balanced, talented, and healthier team than Miami. The Steelers are going to be in for a much tougher contest in Arrowhead Stadium.