What’s the old saying? “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.” Well, for the Pittsburgh Steelers, that seems to be the exact case with former All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Now, you could argue that the Steelers won the trade, as Jalen Ramsey has been a revelation at safety.

However, the Steelers moved on from Fitzpatrick because they didn’t feel like he made enough splash plays at safety anymore, or at least, not enough to justify his salary. The issue is, similar to what the Steelers did in moving Ramsey to safety, Pittsburgh could have done the same thing with Fitzpatrick by moving him to nickel. Why? When you listen to Dolphins expert Kyle Crabbs of A to Z Sports Miami, you will see just how good Fitzpatrick has been. That and more in our preview of Monday Night Football.

Steelers vs. Dolphins Monday Night Football preview and final score predictions

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What has Minkah Fitzpatrick looked like in a Dolphins uniform?

“Minkah was put through the wringer a bit in the early chapters of the season. He was asked to play deep as a safety before ultimately being pushed up into the nickel amid other injuries to Miami, and the changing dynamics led to some communication breakdowns. After a Week 6 loss to the Chargers, in which a coverage miscommunication helped to cost them the game late, Minkah has settled in to the nickel full-time and has been, frankly, sensational. He’s not asked to play deep range as often and instead uses his versatility and football IQ to see plays quickly.” – Crabbs

How is it that the Dolphins have gone from looking like their season was over to being back in the playoff hunt?

“Part of it is that the dismissal of Grier caught everyone in Miami’s attention. Grier was well-liked by owner Stephen Ross, so when someone like that is let go, I certainly think it offered an energizing jolt to a football operation to up the ante and the urgency. The ironic part of it is that Miami has been playing loose ever since. You wouldn’t necessarily expect extra intensity in the weeds to breed that response. It’s been impressive that they’ve harnessed it as they have.” – Crabbs

What is your final score prediction for Monday Night?

“Miami should like their chances for one reason: they’re playing better at the line of scrimmage than Pittsburgh has in the last few weeks. The matchups to this contest are unique but Miami is rolling as a running game right now and stopping the run at a high level, too. The Steelers have run for 92 yards in the last two weeks while conceding 466. But every other element of this game should presumably favor Pittsburgh. Road game up north in December against a winning team in primetime? Those are all variables that introduce questions for Mike McDaniel’s team. I’ll lean into the bit, though. Give me Dolphins: 20, Steelers: 17.” – Crabbs