The Miami Dolphins were eliminated from the playoffs for the second year in a row after losing the Week 15 game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. After the game, linebacker Jordyn Brooks shared his assessment of where things went wrong, pointing out missed opportunities in the game’s most critical moments.

“I think it really came down to tackling. I haven’t seen us tackle like that all year,” Brooks said in his post-game conference. “Just from a fresh memory of the game without watching film, I would say it came down to tackling for us… One missed tackle led to another.”

Two minutes after halftime, safety Ashtyn Davis missed a tackle on running back Kenneth Gainwell, who gained 38 yards. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu also failed to cover the receiver Marquez Valdes-Scalding, who scored a touchdown. A dominant show by the receiver DK Metcalf came up later in the third quarter.

At the 5:06 mark in the 3rd quarter, on a 3rd & 12 play, quarterback Aaron Rodgers fired a pass straight to Metcalf down the middle field. He first pushed safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick, to the side using brute strength. Brooks also ran back to stop him, but Metcalf held him off using his right arm while clutching the ball close to his chest using his left arm, breaking the tackle and racing into the end zone

Yet, Brooks was the leader in defense against the Steelers. He made 13 tackles (seven solo) with one sack and one pass deflected. Overall, the Phins made 76 tackles, way more than 53 by the Black and Gold. However, those missed and broken tackles allowed Pittsburgh to consistently gain extra yards after contact, sustain drives, and control the flow of the game.

It doesn’t matter now, since with their recent 28-15 loss, they are already out of the playoff race. The Steelers managed to outplay them.

Steelers dominate Jordyn Brooks & co.

Rodgers was the hero of the night with 23 of 27 passes completed for 224 passing yards and two touchdowns. While both teams avoided fumbles, Tua Tagovailoa’s pass to receiver Jaylen Waddle in the first quarter was intercepted by the cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.

However, the Black and Gold dominated the Phins in the rushing game. Jordyn Brooks’ teammates had only 16 carries for 63 rushing yards with no score. Their opponents ran with the ball 32 times for 135 yards for two touchdowns.

Both teams scored two receiving touchdowns, so the run game proved to be the x-factor. Jordyn Brooks is right. Had they worked on their tackling, they might have won the game. The issue isn’t newly developed. According to NFL NextGen stats, the Phins defense missed tackles at the fourth-highest rate in the league (14.5%) in 2024. They were given a D grade in their tackling efficiency after a poor performance.

This season, those plays stacked up in their losses. Head coach Mike McDaniel is already on the hot seat. If they end up losing the remaining games, things might get shaken in the franchise.