Steel City Underground scouts the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponents each week of the 2025 NFL regular season ahead of the games to preview the upcoming matchup with a focus on key players, potential outcomes, news, and the latest social media chatter.
After a rocky start and a mid-season turnaround, the Miami Dolphins sit at 6-7 as they prepare for a pivotal Monday Night Football matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 15. Through 14 weeks of the 2025 NFL season, Miami’s roller-coaster campaign has featured offensive highs, defensive challenges and a surge that keeps their slim playoff hopes alive. We scout the Dolphins ahead of their head-to-head game with the Steelers.
The Dolphins opened the season with just one win in their first seven games, slipping to 1–6 and igniting questions about coaching and roster direction. Losses to the Colts, Patriots and Bills early in the year left Miami reeling, including a particularly lopsided defeat at Cleveland. A players-only meeting and locker room soul-searching followed the 1–6 start.
But Miami’s fortunes began to shift. The Dolphins notched a key road win at Atlanta in Week 8 and followed with victories over the Bills and Commanders to climb toward .500. A dominant 34–10 win at the New York Jets in Week 14 extended their win streak to four games and kept postseason hopes alive, improving their record to 6–7.
Running back De’Von Achane has been a breakout force, rushing for over 1,100 yards and anchoring Miami’s ground game. Achane exited the Week 14 win briefly with a rib injury, but an MRI showed no fracture, and head coach Mike McDaniel said he’s trending toward availability for Monday’s game. “He looks good,” McDaniel said of Achane’s recovery, adding the team’s extra day before kickoff gives Miami a chance to rest and prep.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has led the offense with a mix of precision passing and clutch drives, though inconsistency at times has frustrated fans. Tagovailoa’s chemistry with receivers like Jaylen Waddle has been vital during Miami’s resurgence.
According to league stats, Tagovailoa has thrown for more than 2,400 yards this season while Waddle has topped 800 receiving yards.
McDaniel has publicly credited his unit’s resilience in recent interviews. “We’re playing with an edge,” McDaniel said in a late-week press conference. “There’s a belief in this locker room that we can win any game we’re in.”
Defensively, the Dolphins have been opportunistic at times but have struggled to contain explosive offenses. Miami’s defense will need to step up against Pittsburgh’s balanced attack.
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The Steelers (7–6) enter Monday night in first place in the AFC North and are slight favorites. Pittsburgh’s strength on both sides of the ball and its home-field advantage at Acrisure Stadium make it a tough test for Miami.
Both teams know what’s at stake: Pittsburgh aims to stay atop its division, while Miami fights to stay afloat in the wild-card hunt. The Dolphins must win out and get help from others to reach the postseason, according to projections.
Fans tuning in Monday night will see if Miami’s late-season surge continues in Pittsburgh, or if a road test in hostile territory exposes cracks that emerged earlier in the season. Whichever way it goes, the Dolphins’ 2025 campaign — marked by adversity, adjustment and a determined push — is on track to reach another defining moment under the Monday night lights… good or bad.
