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Breaking down Steelers-Dolphins: The trio is finally whole

While the fourth missed the playoffs for the first time in six years. Being a Cleveland Browns’ fan I can only go with what I hear other people say.

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The only team in that span to do it and make the Super Bowl is the 2009 Saints, who beat the Colts for the championship.

Q: The college bowl season has been a big disappointment to me so far.

“Although it’s a play-off game, it’s win or go home, at the same time it’s still football”, he said.

The Giants have 9 Ws in their last 11 games, although they haven’t won a playoff game since they got to the Super Bowl in 2011. Graham likes the Miami Dolphins as 10-point road underdogs against the Pittsburgh Steelers (10:05 a.m. Sunday) and the Houston Texans as 3½-point home favorites over the Oakland Raiders (1:35 p.m. Saturday). Part of it is because the Dolphins will be going with a second-string quarterback since Ryan Tannehill has been out a few weeks with an injury. In his place is Matt Moore.

The Dolphins briefly knocked Roethlisberger out of that game with a meniscus injury that required surgery, and running back Jay Ajayi rushed for 204 yards as the Dolphins intercepted a hobbled Roethlisberger twice and won, 30-15. He in fact finished the regular season as the Packers’ second best rusher, behind only Ty Montgomery, recording 369 yards over his 67 carries. But that was then. The beginning of that surge can be found in the sixth week of the season when Miami beat this same Pittsburgh squad. “We’ve got to make plays and counteract that, and that’s our job as defensive players to really corrupt what they’re trying to do on the offensive side of the ball”. But what happened to the defense? His completion percentage goes up a full 11 percent in Pittsburgh, and with the game at Heinz Field, he could dominate against a vulnerable defensive backfield.

The game started with a bang, as it didn’t take long for the Steelers to cash in 7 points on their first offensive possession. This six play, 95 yard drive was capped by a 62 yard touchdown reception, as Brown had 3 receptions for 119 yards and 2 touchdown before the first quarter even ended- 14-0 Steelers just like that.

And an opportunity for Pittsburgh’s defense to show just how much it’s matured.

The Steelers listened and closed the season with seven straight wins.

Thirteen career games. A grand total of 304 yards rushing and three touchdowns for a Miami Dolphins team that may have cornered the market on “meh”.

Back in the playoffs after sitting at home previous year are the Falcons, Cowboys, Oakland, Miami, Detroit and the New York Giants.

According to reports out of Miami from local media, Jones was informed that he would not be on the game day active list. But the 36-year-old had one of his most lethargic performances when the Giants came to Lambeau in early October.

My take: Talk about peaking at the right time. “He’s in it for one reason that I can see and that is to put another trophy in that room”.

I’ve been waiting for the defense to score, and this could be the week.

“If we’re fortunate enough to get to that point, then we’ll evaluate him then”, Gase replied when asked about Tannehill coming back if Miami wins Sunday.

He’s counting on Houston’s top-ranked defense to offset the subpar play of quarterback Brock Osweiler and to harass Connor Cook, Oakland’s third-string rookie quarterback making his first career start.

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Player to watch: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers.

New England Patriots wide receiver Michael Floyd celebrates his touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins Sunday Jan. 1 2017 in Miami Gardens Fla