This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense has yet another challenge ahead of them in the Miami Dolphins. Last week the defense figured out a way to expose Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a banged-up secondary. This week the Dolphins present a different problem.
The secondary is on the mend but even at full strength might not have the tools to keep up with the Miami receivers. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle form one of the fastest tandems in the NFL and expose the Steelers defense’s biggest weakness. Speed.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin talked about the matchup and didn’t mince words about just how imposing these guys can be.
“We could put our guys in a car, on a motorcycle,” Austin said. “I don’t know if you can get ready for that speed. And it’s not just him. You got Waddle across from him. And I mean, those guys can really run.”
How will the Steelers minimize the damage these guys could potentially cause? First and foremost it starts up front. Pressure on Tua Tagovailoa will be key. Tagovailoa missed the last two games dealing with a concussion but is back and Pittsburgh needs to keep him under duress.
Pittsburgh will use a variety of coverages to try and keep Hill and Waddle under wraps and will lay a lot of that at the feet of the safeties to provide that deep help. Will it be enough? That remains to be seen but let us know in the comments if you think the Steelers can stop the Dolphins’ speed.
