Week 15 in the NFL is set to come to a close in Pittsburgh on Monday night as the 7–6 Steelers will welcome the 6–7 Dolphins to Acrisure Stadium for an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.
Miami enters this one riding a four-game winning streak after a 2–7 start, and finds itself still alive in the AFC playoff picture despite an abysmal beginning to the season. The offense has finally found a bit of a groove, while the defense has also been impressive, allowing just 13.3 points per game over the past month.
The Steelers, meanwhile, got back in the W column last weekend with a victory over the Ravens after a two-game skid. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers found the fountain of youth, throwing for 284 yards and a touchdown, and the win has Pittsburgh sitting atop the AFC North by a half-game entering Monday night.
Long story short, there's plenty on the line in this one. Here are three bold predictions for Steelers vs. Dolphins.
Aaron Rodgers will throw an interception for the first time in over a month
As he has throughout the entirety of his NFL career, Rodgers has continued to take care of the football in his age-42 season. The league’s all-time leader in TD/INT ratio has thrown just seven interceptions over his first 12 games in Pittsburgh—and more impressively, hasn’t thrown one in over a month.
Against the Dolphins, however, Rodgers is set to be tested. Adding onto the lowly 13.3 points per game they've allowed throughout their current four-game win streak, this Dolphins defense has also forced opposing quarterbacks into six interceptions over that same span.
Coming off his best performance of the year, look for Rodgers to try to turn that moxie forward, and in turn put the ball in harm's way, leading to his first interception thrown since early November.
De’Von Achane will average less than 5.0 yards per carry
Among the many reasons that the Dolphins have found success over the last month has been the execution of their running game. Over the previous four weeks, starter DeVon Achane has logged three 100-plus yard performances, and the one time he didn’t was last Sunday after he left the game in the first half with a rib injury. In his absence, backup Jaylen Wright logged a 100-yard game of his own.
Miami received good news on Achane this week, with an MRI revealing no fracture, and he was also removed from the team injury report. Even still, it’s fair to assume he’ll be playing less than fully healthy and likely won’t have the same juice.
Achane’s NFL-leading 5.8 yards per carry is predicated on his explosiveness and ability to break off long runs. With that hindered, I'm predicting the back to be stifled by the Steelers' front, and run for less than 5.0 YPC for the first time since October.
Dolphins will take down Steelers, winning their fifth in a row to remain in wild-card contention
While it’s hard to fathom, the Dolphins are among the hottest teams in football right now. They’ve rallied around their coach in Mike McDaniel following the firing of general manager Chris Grier, and although the chances are slim, still have a chance to make the postseason with a win on Monday.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, will still hold a 56% chance at the playoffs even with a loss.
To put it simply, Miami just needs this one more, and that’s why I’m going with them to win their fifth in a row, 24–20, to remain in wild-card contention for at least one more week.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steelers vs. Dolphins: Three Bold Predictions For Monday’s AFC Wild Card Battle.