Everybody knew that the Pittsburgh Steelers' big three -- Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown -- would have big games, and the latter two did. Roethlisberger played okay, going 13 for 18 for 197 yards, two touchdowns while throwing for two interceptions. Most of his passes went to Brown, who had five catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Bell had the biggest game though, getting 167 yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns.
The only way the Miami Dolphins were going to put up a fight was on offense, through running back Jay Ajayi and an alright passing game. However, Ajayi didn't do nearly as well as he did in their regular season matchup, when he ran for more than 200 yards. This time around, he only got 33 yards on 16 carries.
Quarterback Matt Moore would've had a good game if it weren't for turnovers, as he went 29 for 26 for 289 yards, a touchdown, an interception, and two fumbles. It was the Steelers' early lead and the quarterback pressure that ultimately ended the Dolphins' hopes of winning their first playoff game since 2000.
Steelers' pressure key to forcing turnovers
Honestly, Moore had a great game throwing the ball. His passes were accurate whether they were checkdowns, middle or deep throws. He made near perfect reads, finding open receivers and getting the ball to where only they could catch it. This was while getting sacked five times, hit nine times and getting hurried a lot more often. Most quarterbacks would play scared after hits like this. But, save for an interception, Moore's passing was a lot better than expected.
What crushed the Dolphins' comeback hopes were the two Moore fumbles that ended possible Miami touchdown drives. The first came late in the first half, with the Dolphins on the Steelers' 8 and 35 seconds remaining. The second came on the first drive of the second half on the Steelers' 37. In both cases, Moore was leading the Dolphins on solid drives that could've led to touchdowns but because of poor blocking and failure to recognizing the blitz, he got hit on his blind side and coughed up the ball.
Honestly, he got rocked so hard on some of those hits that it's a miracle he didn't get injured. Taking that into consideration and the fact that the Dolphins' main offense, their run, was nonexistent, Moore played well.
Steelers' offense looking dangerous but vulnerable
The Steelers got off to an early 20-3 lead against the Dolphins thanks to a very efficient offense. As the game progressed, Roethlisberger started playing worse and that will be the key to stopping this star-studded offense. Bell is the best running back in the league and will have a big game no matter what. Brown is a playmaker that can catch most passes sent his way. But Roethlisberger is prone to mistakes when pressured, as shown late against the Dolphins.
The key to the Kansas City Chiefs next week will be to blitz and pressure Big Ben, forcing him to make mistakes, something they specialize in on defense. If they don't, then they're going to have a hard time stopping the Steelers' offense, much like the Dolphins had early in the game.
What's next
The Steelers play the Chiefs next Sunday at noon on NBC.
For the Dolphins, they're going to go into the offseason figuring out how to make their team reach the next level. Is Ajayi their answer at running back? Is Ryan Tannehill good enough to lead them to the next tier of teams? There are a lot of questions surrounding this promising football team.