5 things we learned from Steelers performance against the Dolphins
By Tommy Jaggi
Minkah Fitzpatrick is the ‘real deal.’
If there was any doubt before, you can rest assured now knowing that Minkah Fitzpatrick is a legitimately good football player. I recently wrote a piece about how fans were torn on the Fitzpatrick. While some thought it was a good move to fill a position of need, others didn’t like giving up a potentially high first-round draft pick.
I concluded that Minkah Fitzpatrick has been worth the first-round pick Pittsburgh surrendered to acquire him. Since week 3, Minkah has been a force in the back end of the defense, and he is responsible for creating 4 turnovers over the past 5 games.
We don’t know exactly what the future has in store for Minkah Fitzpatrick, but I think it is safe to say that he is the ‘real deal.’
Steelers defensive line stepping up without Stephon Tuitt
Losing Stephon Tuitt was a big blow to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fortunately, the defensive line play has stepped up in his absence. As usual, we can rely on Cameron Heyward to bring a high level of play every performance, but there were others who took care of business.
Tyson Alualu may have had a quiet night in the box score vs. the Dolphins (2 tackles, 1 QB hit), but he was a force all night – shutting down the run game for just 3.2 yards per carry and getting pressure on the quarterback.
It’s hard to know how this defensive line will perform moving forward without Tuitt, and Miami’s offense isn’t exactly the most accurate test. Still, Pittsburgh’s defense line did everything we could have asked them to on Monday night.
Next. Answers to the Steelers five burning questions versus Dolphins. dark
Most teams have a lot to brag about after playing a team like the Miami Dolphins. Though they started off slow, the Steelers still took care of business and finished the game on a 27-0 run. Let’s hope they carry this momentum with them against the Colts this week.