Steelers vs. Dolphins Preview

Well, Vegas is convinced that we still don't suck. Or, at least they're convinced that the Dolphins are really, really, REALLY bad. The line is 16 for Monday night's game. Granted, Vegas has been going a little crazy this year, with the line for the New England game against the Eagles set at TWENTY-FOUR.

So, that's pretty intense.

I understand that the Dolphins are 0-10. I understand we're at home and it's Monday Night Football. I understand that Ronnie Brown is hurt, so is Jessie Chatman, and Miami might roll out Ricky Williams for this game. I understand that the Dolphins are quarterbacked by rookie John Beck (making only his second career start). I understand all of this, but we were 9.5 point favorites against the 1-8 Jets (who looked absolutely terrible against the Cowboys) and we lost.

I don't think there's a way in hell that we lost two consecutive letdown games. I don't think we're going to lost at home on a Monday night. We're too much better than them. Their defense is a year older than they were in 2006 and we did a damn good job against them then. Now they don't have Ronnie Brown or a starting quarterback that's worth a damn. They're too old, they're too slow, and yet they don't have a lot of good experience at any position.

We'll be minus Troy and Santonio Holmes, so that hurts, but I don't think it's going to make that much of a difference. Troy hasn't really been himself thus far this season and our receivers are pretty much interchangeable. And, since we've had a whole week of practice without them, we should be good to go. We did pretty damn well with the entire team injured against Seattle, after all.

Still... law of averages says that Miami has to win eventually, so why not on Monday? It's gotta happen at some point, right? And, it's not like the Dolphins are that much worse than the Jets or the Raiders. The only real difference that I see is that the Raiders game and the Jets game were both on the road.

I think that's enough of a difference. I think we win. I think 16 points is FREAKIN' RIDICULOUS. But I think we'll win.

Prediction: Steelers 24, Dolphins 17