How to Watch
Coverage begins at 7 p.m. with Football Night in America followed by kickoff between the teams at 8:20 p.m. You can watch all the action on NBC 6 or on Peacock.
Sunday, October 23rd
Full broadcast/streaming coverage: 7:00pm - 11:30 pm ET
Kickoff: 8:20 pm ET
NBC Sports Live Stream Link: http://stream.nbcsports.com/nfl/watch-sunday-night-football
NFL on Peacock Hub: https://www.peacocktv.com/nfl
Broadcast: NBC
Digital Platforms: NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, Peacock
Note: The NBC Sports live stream of this NFL game will require users to log-in using their cable credentials, and the Peacock stream is only available to subscribers on the paid tiers.
The Miami Dolphins will once again be in the national spotlight Sunday night with the team’s return to NBC’s Sunday Night Football – and with it, the expected return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after a scary injury that changed the face of concussion protocol around the National Football League.
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Miami (3-3) takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) in a battle of two longtime AFC powers who have both fallen on hard times at points this season. The Dolphins are dealing with a three-game losing streak after winning the first three games of the season. The Steelers are coming off a win last Sunday that broke a four-game losing streak, which was tied for the third longest streak in franchise history.
The game will also be special as the Dolphins will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1972 team – still the only team in NFL history to go undefeated while bringing South Florida its first team title in any sport.
While the return of Tua is expected to give the Fins an extra boost, is it enough to give Miami a win over a team they have lost seven of its last nine meetings with?
Here’s a complete preview of the action between the Dolphins and Steelers and how you can watch.
Miami Dolphins Preview
It’s been quite a ride for the men that call Hard Rock Stadium home through the first part of the 2022 season. It couldn’t have started any better than three wins that included victories over divisional rivals New England and Buffalo along with the biggest comeback in franchise history in a win over Baltimore to start the tenure of new head coach Mike McDaniel.
That good luck turned the other way when Tagovailoa was carted off the field after suffering a concussion September 29 at Cincinnati. Tua’s injury led the team to make changes within its medical staff and for the NFL and its Players Association to make changes to its concussion protocol.
Miami Dolphins
When Tagovailoa is on the field, he was off to his best start in his professional career with 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns passing. It helps to have a dual threat at wide receiver of both Tyreek Hill (701 yards and two touchdowns) and Jaylen Waddle (533 yards and three touchdowns) to offset the fact Miami has a total of 487 rushing yards through the first six games.
While the Dolphins rank eighth in total offense so far in 2022, the defense has taken a step back and comes into the game with a No. 24 ranking – still five spots ahead of the Steelers team they are facing this weekend.
Pittsburgh Steelers Preview
The men from the Steel City are learning to live life without longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who retired after an 18-year career that included two Super Bowl titles. Head coach Mike Tomlin saw the team win its opener over Cincinnati before dropping four straight games. Pittsburgh broke that losing streak with a win over Tampa Bay, its first victory at home this season.
The push to replace Big Ben at quarterback saw the Steelers go with a combination of Mitch Trubisky (797 yards and three touchdowns) and rookie Kenny Pickett (514 yards and one touchdown). Pittsburgh has four receivers with over 200 yards while running back Najee Harris has rushed for 264 yards and one touchdown this season.
Defensively, Pittsburgh is among the worst in the NFL so far in 2022 – ranking No. 29 in total defense through six games. Blowout losses against Cleveland and Buffalo didn’t help that case while a blown lead late against the New York Jets led to another setback.
Series History
Pittsburgh leads the all-time series between the teams 15-13, including the previously mentioned seven wins in the last nine meetings. The teams have met four times in the postseason, including twice in the AFC Championship Game with the Dolphins winning both games to advance to the Super Bowl. Miami won the last meeting between the teams inside Hard Rock Stadium, which broke a two-game home losing streak to Pittsburgh.
Flores’ Return
Sunday will mark the first time the Dolphins have faced off with former head coach Brian Flores, who is now the linebackers coach for the Steelers. Flores spent three seasons with Miami and had a winning record his last two years but was fired in January. Shortly afterward, he filed a lawsuit against the NFL and three teams, saying racist hiring practices by the league have left it racially segregated and managed like a plantation.
Honoring Perfection
The 1972 Dolphins will be honored throughout the game a half-century after they became the first – and still only – team to finish the season with an undefeated record. The 17-0 Dolphins defeated the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game that season to advance to Super Bowl VII, defeating Washington for the first title a South Florida team had ever won.
