MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Prepare yourselves now because it's going to be talked about throughout the entirety of Sunday night's broadcast.
After sustaining a concussion during last Sunday's win over the Buccaneers, Kenny Pickett will return to the field and start at quarterback for the Steelers the very next week. Tua Tagovailoa will also be taking the field for the Dolphins, and that'll be his first time since suffering a concussion that triggered immediate change to the NFL's concussion protocol.
Miami might be known as the Magic City. But, even if it's only for a few hours on Sunday night, it'll be Concussion City.
When it comes to concussions, there are moments that have forever changed the game of football. The first came when Mike Webster became Patient Zero for the discovery of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in football players, which shook the NFL's handling of concussions down to its very core. In turn, the league has had no choice but to make changes over the past decade and a half to try and reduce the number of concussions sustained by players.
However, instances such as what happened with Tagovailoa have still taken place. There was clear evidence that Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in Miami's win over the Bills in Week 3, but the Dolphins listed him with a back injury. Tagovailoa was clearly concussed -- evidenced by showing a posturing position after sustaining a hit -- four days later on Thursday Night Football against the Bengals, and was subsequently taken to the hospital.
"I wouldn't say it was scary for me at the time because there was a point where I was unconscious, so I couldn't really tell what was going on," Tagovailoa said this week, the first time he's spoken to the media since being cleared from concussion protocol. "When I did come to and kind of realized what was going on and what was happening, I didn't think of anything long term or short term. I was just wondering what happened."
What really triggered an outcry from so many people about the situation with Tagovailoa was suffering multiple concussions five days apart. That can have long-lasting effects on a person, and could potentially trigger Second Impact Syndrome (SIS), which can be fatal. The NFL and NFLPA swiftly acted to change the concussion protocol, specifically altering the language of the Gross Motor Instability portion of the "no-go" symptoms to rule out any player diagnosed with ataxia (abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue).
Naturally, any reported concussion after this incident was going to generate far more attention than it had before. On the Steelers' side of things, Minkah Fitzpatrick entered the concussion protocol after the Week 3 loss in Cleveland, then returned for the next game 10 days later at home against the Jets. Since then, and after the Tua incident, every Steelers player that has been diagnosed with a concussion, including Terrell Edmunds, Pat Freiermuth and Levi Wallace, did not play the following week.
All of them, until Pickett.
Now, not every concussion is the same, so let's not pretend they are. For starters, Pickett told us Friday he remembers everything that happened after he was hit by Devin White. In addition, Pickett said this was his first time dealing with a concussion and going through any protocol to return to play.
"I went through it with the doctors and the medical staff. People fly in here to go to these doctors, so I know they’re the best in the country and I feel great with where I’m at going into Sunday," Pickett said. "I won’t get into everything. I feel great now, which is all that matters. I went through all the protocol, met with multiple doctors and got cleared to play, so I feel good with it."
There has been some backlash regarding Pickett's full return to practice Wednesday, just three days after sustaining a documented concussion. I spoke with Brian Sutterer, MD this week, a sports medicine doctor whose work is available on YouTube, to gain a medical perspective on this situation. Sutterer told me Pickett's return to practice is not unusual and "fits the standard that most football players get through the protocol in one week."
It's important to note when the Steelers have ran fully-padded practices, every player wears the Guardian caps players sported during training camp, except for the quarterbacks. Why not? Because the quarterbacks are never touched. In turn, there is little-to-no risk of sustaining any potentially dangerous contact.
However, understanding the context of what has happened recently in the NFL, Sutterer went on to say, "If Tua suffers another concussion this year, I believe he'd be the first player to have three in one season, and it would lead to a ton of polarizing discussion."
Yes, it would. The same could be said for Pickett. If he were to sustain a second concussion in a week's time, and if we were to witness anything close to what happened with Tagovailoa, the outcry that could follow would and should demand more change than altering language that shouldn't have been in the protocol in the first place.
So, try and enjoy some football Sunday night. At the same time, hope for the best regarding the safety of Tagovailoa, Pickett and everyone who steps on the field.
Football is an inherently dangerous game, and concussions are going to happen. It's the NFL's responsibility to make sure these players aren't put at high risk of suffering the same fate of Webster, Justin Strzelczyk, Terry Long and many others who suffered and died with CTE.
Come Sunday night, there will be many eyes watching to scrutinize, and make sure the NFL doesn't allow another Tua situation to play out.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Who: Steelers vs. Dolphins (-7)
• What: Week 7, regular season
• When: Sunday, 8:20 p.m.
• Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
• Weather: 76°, 13% rain, 8-mph wind
• TV: NBC (national), WPXI-TX (local)
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Streaming: Steelers Nation Radio
• Satellite: Sirius XM 385, online 826
• Boxscore: DKPS
• Team media guides: Steelers | Dolphins
• Official game notes: Steelers | Dolphins
THE INJURY REPORT
• Steelers: WR Steven Sims (hamstring) did not practice all week, and is ruled OUT. CB Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring) returned to practice for the first time since being injured in Week 3, but is listed as DOUBTFUL. QB Kenny Pickett (concussion), TE Pat Freiermuth (concussion), CB Levi Wallace (concussion), CB Cam Sutton (hamstring), S Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee), LB Myles Jack (ankle), C Mason Cole (foot/ankle), G James Daniels (ankle), DT Chris Wormley (ankle), DT Larry Ogunjobi (knee) and DT Cam Heyward (veteran rest) were all full participants in Friday's practice and are a full go for Sunday night.
CB James Pierre (hip) was originally QUESTIONABLE, but the Steelers announced Saturday he has been upgraded and is expected to play Sunday.
• Dolphins: CB Keion Crossen (knee) is DOUBTFUL. T Terron Armstead (toe), CB Xavien Howard (Vet rest/groin), CB Kader Kohou (oblique), T Greg Little (achilles), DE Emmanuel Ogbah (back), TE Durham Smythe (hamstring), QB Skylar Thompson (thumb), WR Jaylen Waddle (shoulder), DT Christian Wilkins (hand) are all listed as QUESTIONABLE.
THE KEY VARIABLE
There's a lot of talk about the return of Tagovailoa and the speed the Dolphins have on the outside. It will certainly be a challenge for the Steelers' defense, and we'll get to that shortly.
However, if there's an opportunity for this offense to have a breakout game through the air, it's this game. We're not going to mention Pickett's 327 yards on 52 pass attempts in the blowout loss to the Bills. That was garbage time stats that only took place because the team had no choice playing from four or five touchdowns behind.
No, this is an opportunity for Matt Canada to take the top off this Miami defense. The Dolphins are allowing 7.9 yards per pass attempt. Only the Lions, Seahawks, Vikings and Titans are giving up more than that. Because of Chase Claypool's outstanding performance in the win over Tampa Bay, Canada was asked about getting the receivers to produce more consistently, and his answer plays right into trying to attack a Miami defense that is giving up yards through the air.
"We want to get them all going more. With the weapons that we have, there's probably games that should be like that," Canada said Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sport Complex. "We should probably have a game where a guy has a bunch, where they're choosing to double (Diontae Johnson) or focused on George [Pickens] or focused on Pat [Freiermuth]. That's probably something that shouldn't be that uncommon. We have to have more productivity consistently, however it comes."
In addition, the Dolphins have sacked the quarterback only 12 time this season, which is tied for 20th in the NFL. What's more, they are tied for 28th in the NFL with 11 quarterback knockdowns. The Steelers' offensive line has performed pretty well this season in terms of pass protection. In theory, they should be able to provide Pickett enough time to break down the defense and make plays down the field to his receivers.
If the Steelers are able to do this, they stand a much improved chance at walking out of Miami with an upset victory.
THE HISTORY LESSON
The Steelers lead the overall series, 15-13, but the Dolphins hold a 9-6 advantage when playing in Miami.
The teams have split four playoff matchups, with the first coming in the 1972 AFC Championship Game. The Steelers had just upset the Raiders, thanks to the Immaculate Reception, and the Dolphins were on a collision course with a perfect season. The Dolphins won the game, 21-17, and defeated Washington in Super Bowl VII to complete the only perfect season in NFL history.
The Steelers got their revenge in 1979 en route to their fourth Super Bowl title in six years, defeating the Dolphins in the AFC Divisional playoff by a score of 34-14. Five seasons later, Miami returned the favor by handing the Steelers a 45-28 loss in their only AFC Championship Game appearance in the 1980s.
The two teams wouldn't meet in the playoffs again until the 2016 AFC Wildcard Game in a frigid game at then-named Heinz Field. The high-octane Steelers offense was a big reason why Pittsburgh was 11-point favorites, and it was clear and obvious right away.
Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown led the offense to put together drives of 85, 90 and 83 yards to start the game, all resulting in touchdowns. Miami could only muster a field goal during that time, giving Pittsburgh a 20-3 lead early in the second quarter.
The Dolphins eventually found the end zone in the fourth quarter, but only after Chris Boswell added a field goal and Bell had scored his second touchdown of the game. The Steelers won, 30-12, and eventually made their way to the AFC Championship Game in Foxboro, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots.
That wildcard playoff also witnessed a Miami quarterback suffering a scary hit. Bud Dupree hit Matt Moore after he rolled out of the pocket and the crown of his helmet made clear contact with Moore's jaw. Dupree was flagged for the play, and subsequently fined $18,231. Somehow, Moore missed one play and passed the NFL's concussion protocol and returned to the game.
THE MAIN MATCHUP
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are really, really fast. There is no substitute for speed in the NFL, and it's a big reason why the Dolphins sit near the top of the league with 6.1 yards per play.
The Steelers brought in Josh Malone to the practice squad this week, who wore No. 10 for the scout team this week. He ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but there is still nothing that quite replicates what Hill or Waddle can do.
"We could put our guys in a car or a motorcycle," Teryl Austin laughed. "I don't know if you can get ready for that speed. That speed is unique."
The Dolphins can take the top off the defense with deep routes or pepper the opposition with crossing routes. Either way, playing a lot of man coverage is asking to be beat with the kind of speed the Dolphins possess. In turn, the Steelers will likely be in zone coverage more often this week.
"Any time you play teams with speed like that, you're obviously aware of it, but you can't be scared of it," Austin explained. "You know what they're good at. You do things to try and take it away. Obviously, we're not going to be able to cover them all man to man running around all day. That's not going to be the deal. We're going to have to think of some things and put our guys in good positions where they're to maybe catch some of these routes."
With zone coverage comes holes, or windows, in the defense, and a good quarterback can orchestrate the offense by exploiting those soft spots. It's going to take another collective effort from the inside linebackers and secondary to keep those windows as small as possible. A critical part of executing that is the pass rush being able to get into the backfield and pressure the quarterback.
"There's going to be space. It's not tight coverage," Devin Bush told me. "So, you need disruption."
The pass rush is coming off their best performance without T.J. Watt in the lineup, and it's no accident that it coincided with the first win without Watt since he was drafted. Even though Tagovailoa's mobility and left-handedness present a much different challenge than Tom Brady, the Steelers need to keep it simple and win battles up front. And that could play a big role in limiting the effect Hill and Waddle have on the game.
"I don't think, in terms of schematics or anything like that is going to change," Austin said. "We're (just) playing ball."
10 DATA POINTS
• Scott Novak's crew will officiate Sunday's game. They've averaged the sixth-most called penalties per game, including 11 offensive holding calls.
• The Dolphins have been penalized 43 times this year. Over the last two weeks, Miami has committed 21 penalties for 199 yards.
• Both teams are under the 30-minute mark in time of possession. Miami is possessing the football for 29:55 per game while Pittsburgh is at 28:09.
• The Dolphins blitz 29.3 percent of the time, compared to the Steelers' blitzing 24.5 percent of the time. The offensive line will need to watch the holding calls this week.
• Miami has a minus-5 turnover differential, and they've taken the ball away only four times. Take the top off the defense and test the secondary.
• Of the 520 yards the Steelers have gained on the ground this season, Pittsburgh receivers have contributed 88 yards.
• Of the 385 yards the Dolphins gained through the air last week, 306 of it went to Hill and Waddle. There's a reason why the Main Matchup focused on that duo.
• The Dolphins lead the NFL with seven completions of 40-plus yards.
• While the Dolphins are allowing 7.9 yards per pass attempt, the Steelers are allowing 7.5 YPA.
• It originally looked like the Dolphins were going to have a timeshare at running back between Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds. However, Mostert's 309 rushing yards are 220 more than Edmonds. He's clearly the lead back now.
THE FANTASY CORNER
I'd like to formally apologize for the past two weeks if you've copied and pasted my fantasy lineups. While I continue to have success in my leagues, my weekly lineups have been suffering. But, I'm not about to quit now. Here's my lineup for Week 7 (with a $50,000 salary cap on DraftKings).
• QB: Dak Prescott, Cowboys ($6,700)
• RB1: Breece Hall, Jets ($6,200)
• RB2: Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks ($5,800)
• WR1: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions ($7,100)
• WR2: Amari Cooper, Browns ($6,100)
• WR3: Christian Kirk, Jaguars ($5,900)
• TE: Robert Tonyan, Packers ($4,100)
• FLEX: Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders ($5,500)
• DEF/ST: Jets ($2,600)
Prescott should be able to have a strong game against the Lions, even in a return from an injury to his throwing hand. Hall has been a consistent fantasy producer. St. Brown did wonders for me before he went down with an injury, so I'm taking advantage of the dip in value. I'm also going to say the Jets defense could be a nice sleeper for the week at $2,600. They have a favorable matchup against the Broncos, and they're coming off a 20-point performance against the Packers last week.
