Back in week 6 the Steelers lost to the Dolphins 30-15. The loss was very disappointing and marked a resurgence for the Dolphins team who was 1-4 prior.

This week the Steelers get a chance for revenge as they host the Dolphins at Heinz field. The Dolphins shouldn’t expect a similar game as last time, for this Steelers team playing in the Wild Card game is much different than that from week 6. Let’s take a lot at the state of this group then compared to now…

Picture of health

Then:

Partway through the first match-up, Ben went down on a sack that appeared to cause some damage. Following that sack Ben’s play noticeably dropped and he made frequent mistakes. Later that night Twitter went into full-scale panic mode when rumors of a torn meniscus began to surface. It became clear Ben played a large portion of the game significantly injured.

The Steelers were also without Ryan Shazier, Bud Dupree, Cam Heyward, and Ladarius Green. The absence of 3 of our key defensive players was noticeable, for the Steelers gave up over 200 rushing yards to Jay Ajayi.

Now:

Ben has recovered from his meniscus injury and is back to playing his normal high-level of football. Bud Dupree has returned to the starting lineup and is 0.5 sacks away from leading the team in sacks despite missing a large portion of the season. Ryan Shazier is on what appears to be the longest streak of health in his career *knock on wood*

Green is currently in concussion protocol, but is expected to be ready to go for the game. His presence will add a new dynamic to our passing offense the Dolphins didn’t experience the first time around.

The Steelers have some other players injured, including Stephon Tuitt, but all the starters are expected to be ready to play on Sunday. Some of the Steelers special teams players are questionable for the game however.

Improved rookies

Then:

Artie Burns & Javon Hargrave both played a lot the first time around against the Dolphins, Burns playing 70% of snaps and Hargrave playing 69%.

Tyler Matakevich surprisingly played 18 snaps on defense, but that was primarily due to Shazier being injured.

Sean Davis‘ only snaps were on special teams, for Robert Golden was starting at strong safety.

Now:

Though it was only a few months ago, our rookies have all come a long way since week 6. Artie Burns, Sean Davis, and Javon Hargrave are all now full-time starters on the defense and contributing significantly. All 3 have gotten better each week.

Burns has improved significantly in all-aspects of the game over the season; his tackling for example is far better than it was at the start of the season.

Davis has played great since earning the starting job, with the Steelers not losing a game since. Davis also won the Steelers Rookie of the Year award. His presence has greatly improved this defense.

The Steelers also have a new rookie on the 53 man roster, 7th round pick Demarcus Ayers. The wide receiver has had a surprising impact on the team since joining the roster, making key plays in the Steelers win over the Ravens and scoring a touchdown versus the Browns.

Defensive turnaround

Then:

The Steelers defense lacked in splash plays the first time they played the Dolphins. Between weeks 1-6 the defense only had 6 turnovers and 8 sacks. That’s an average of 1 turnover and 1.3 sacks per game.

As mentioned earlier, the defense was also without many key defensive players, such as Shazier, Dupree, and Heyward.

Now:

The Steelers defense has greatly improved in splash plays since week 6. Between weeks 7-17 the defense has 17 turnovers and 30 sacks. That’s an average of 1.7 turnovers and 3 sacks per game. A much better ratio than the former.

The Steelers finished ranking 9th in sacks 15th in turnover, both respectable rankings and much improved compared to how they started the season.

The Steelers also have Bud Dupree now. Dupree has recorded 4.5 sacks during the time span of December-January, which is shockingly the most sacks by any AFC linebacker during that time span. Dupree’s return has rejuvenated the Steelers’ pass rush.

Along with Dupree, Sean Davis is a full-time starter as mentioned earlier. Davis brings an athletic presence to the strong safety position that’s been absent ever since Troy Polomalu retired. The Steelers also have Artie Burns playing almost every snap.

Final thoughts

The Steelers have gradually improved all season and are heading into the playoffs as their play level continues to ascend. They are in a great position with most players healthy.

The rookies have stepped up and made a significant impact on both the defense and offense, something many fans are certainly not used to seeing. These young players have brought a needed spark to this team.

With the team having improved in almost every aspect since week 6, the Dolphins should not expect to see the same team on Sunday that they did back in October.