Miami Dolphins

Dolphins at Steelers: David vs. Goliath

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:36 p.m. ET

Fansided, Matt Verderame/Fansided

Nobody believes in the Miami Dolphins, and while they deserve to be decided underdogs, they shouldn’t be counted as an easy out.

On Sunday afternoon, Heinz Field will be filled with 68,400 fans adorned in black and gold, waving the Terrible Towel which former radio broadcaster Myron Cope made famous in the 1970s. Most of those folks will be expecting a blood-letting of the visiting Dolphins, a team that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2008, and hasn’t won in the postseason since 2000.

Pittsburgh and Miami couldn’t be coming into January with a larger gulf between the expectations placed on the two. The Steelers are 11-5 and maintaining a championship battery at head coach and quarterback with Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger, respectively. Along with the explosiveness provided by wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh is an annual pick to reach the Super Bowl.

Miami is an annual pick for a top-10 draft selection. The Dolphins have cycled through coaching staffs and free agency busts, but finally appear to have struck the right chord with Adam Gase. Gase, a first-time head coach who reached the Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos in 2013, has proven his worth in spades.

After beginning the year 1-4, Gase implemented wholesale changes to the offensive line on the fly, along with inserting running back Jay Ajayi into the starting lineup. The results were immediate. Miami reeled off nine wins over its last 11 games, and Ajayi rushed for 1,272 yards.

The first of those nine wins? A 30-15 victory at Hard Rock Stadium over Pittsburgh. On Sunday, Gase and the Dolphins will look to repeat the feat. Pittsburgh will expect to repay Miami.