The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to take on the Miami Dolphins during a Monday Night Football contest in Week 15 of the 2025 season, and this game is important for both teams as Miami is trying to stay alive in pursuit of a Wild Card spot, while the Steelers are trying to hold on to the lead in the AFC North. The Dolphins are one of the hotter teams in the NFL as they have put together a nice winning streak, and the Steelers will be looking to snap that on Monday night in the Steel City.
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Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel celebrates with his quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during an away game.
One issue the Dolphins won't have to deal with going into this matchup is the presence of Pittsburgh's star outside linebacker TJ Watt. Watt has been ruled out for the contest after he suffered a collapsed lung during a dry needling session at the team's facility, and it required surgery. His status for the remainder of the year is up in the air, but he won't be on the field on Monday night.
Immediately this seems like a clear disadvantage for Pittsburgh, and Watt's absence would probably help the Dolphins. However, former Steelers Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley went on Kaboly + Mack where he shared it might put Miami in a tough spot when asked how the Dolphins might react to this news.
"Yeah it's really hard, especially mid-week." Haley said. "Like you said, because really, everything you're doing is driven in the direction of not letting that one particular guy ruin your day. Now, it's still a problem you'd like to have because if you say I don't have to play against TJ Watt, I'd much rather deal with the consequences of that than him actually being there. It happening later in the week like it did would be a little problematic."
Haley pointed out how Miami spent all of its time game-planning as if Watt was going to be out on the field. This injury he suffered was a fluke accident, so it is not like Miami had some sort of inkling that he was going through something early on in the week. The coaching staff probably wasn't thinking of a world where Watt was not going to be on the field on Monday night.
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Steelers superstar edge rusher TJ Watt lets out a thunderous roar after delivering a game-changing play against the Cleveland Browns, igniting the crowd and fueling Pittsburgh’s defensive momentum.
The way this helps the Dolphins is that it just takes one of the best game-wreckers in the NFL off of the field. Miami does not have to allocate as many bodies to that side of the formation in the passing game, which should help the pass protection overall while also giving the Dolphins an extra route here and there with a tight end or running back that was originally supposed to chip or help on Watt.
Haley's point probably most applies to the running game. Teams intentionally run away from Watt, and very rarely does a run go to his side of the formation. This is an area where Miami might be a little messed up from Watt's absence; however, the Dolphins have one of the best offenses in the league when it comes to running the football. The group is just 25th when it comes to attempts but eighth in rushing yards, which is a pretty impressive stat.
The former coordinator's point is valid, but Miami Head Coach Mike McDaniel is one of the more creative offensive minds in the league. He will surely be able to find some success against the Steelers and its leaky run defense. McDaniel uses a ton of misdirection and trickery, and there is a chance the defense for Pittsburgh will not be able to keep up.
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Steelers linebacker TJ Watt goes through warmups on the field prior to kickoff on Christmas Day as Pittsburgh prepares for a highly anticipated holiday matchup.
Steelers Have The Weather On Their Side For Big MNF Clash
Miami is obviously one of the nicer places to play in the NFL, but it makes life a little harder when traveling to colder climates. That will be the case for the Dolphins on Monday. The weather in Pittsburgh is supposed to be around 21 degrees at kickoff with windchill dropping the temperature down to around 11 degrees throughout the game. That certainly plays into Pittsburgh's hands.
Do you think Miami's game planning has been affected by the Watt news? Let us know in the comments below!
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