Steelers vs. Dolphins: 5 questions with the enemy ahead of Week 15

The Steelers and the Dolphins enter this week as teams with little margin for error. The Steelers have regained a slim lead in the AFC North, but need to finish the regular season strong to guarantee a playoff birth. Likewise, the Dolphins — currently on a four-game winning streak —are clinging to their playoff hopes and will likely need to win out to secure a spot. I spoke with Kevin Nogle of The Phinsider this week to get a better read on the Steelers’ opponent.

1. The Dolphins gave Tua Tagovailoa the big contract, but have struggled in the two seasons following that deal. Is Miami regretting that decision? What’s behind Tagovailoa’s struggles?

Kevin Nogle: I do not know if “regret” is the right word, but there is probably at least some buyer’s remorse there. I wish I could tell you what is going on with Tagovailoa, but there is nothing to directly attribute to the issues. He just does not look as comfortable in the offense as he did in 2023, and his play is reflecting that. His footwork seems off, he is not trusting the offensive line, and he is forcing passes into windows he should not – probably because he does not trust the offensive line to give him time to continue to make reads.

I would like to say it is getting better and he is finding his stride as the Dolphins turn to the running game and win five of their last six games, but against the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago, he had a 55.9 passer rating on 12-for-23 passing. Even last week, against the Jets, he was 13-for-21 for 127 yards – though he did finish with a 94.7 passer rating thanks to one touchdown and no interceptions.

Everything just looks a little off with him this year. He will be back next season because of the contract situation, but he needs to spend the offseason rebuilding himself from his footwork through his mechanics and get the game to slow down for him again.

2. At midseason, the hot seat was burning at full blast for Mike McDaniel. Now, that’s seemingly cooled after a four-game winning streak. Is McDaniel back in 2026?

KN: I think there is a good chance, unless everything blows up horribly over the last few weeks, that he is back for next year. If the Dolphins are going to have Tagovailoa at quarterback, you may as well keep the offense the same, bring back McDaniel, and see if they can fix the issues that have plagued the team this year.

But I think that leash will be extremely short. If the Dolphins start 2026 as flat as they were to start 2025, I would not be surprised with an early-season firing. Joe Philbin was fired in 2015 after a 1-3 start to the year. If Stephen Ross decides to keep McDaniel after this season, and they start off with a similar record next year, I think...