If coach Mike Tomlin thought the New York Jets were a "dangerous" team before his Steelers played them, imagine what he must think about the game tonight against the Miami Dolphins.

At least the Jets have two victories.

Perhaps that is why quarterback Ben Roethlisberger described the 0-10 Dolphins as "very dangerous."

"We know that they're coming in here ready to get a win," Roethlisberger stated. "It's Monday night, it's prime time again, but we're a pretty upset football team right now, so we've got some rebounding to do."

The Steelers, 7-3 after their upset loss to the Jets, are trying to hold onto first place in the AFC North Division and their dignity. Three seasons ago they set records by winning consecutive games against two unbeaten teams, New England and Philadelphia. They could nearly reverse that with consecutive losses against teams with one win and none.

The Dolphins, though, appear a long way off from their first victory. They have become the NFL model for what can happen when you draft poorly, trade poorly and change coaches often.

Cam Cameron is Miami's fourth coach in four years. Tomlin is the Steelers' third coach in 39 years.

The Dolphins traded draft picks for quarterbacks in each of the past three seasons and none will start tonight -- A.J. Feeley (second-rounder, later traded to San Diego for current backup quarterback Cleo Lemon), Daunte Culpepper (second-rounder, gone), and Trent Green (fifth-rounder, injured reserve). John Beck, 26, a rookie, will make his second start tonight.

They traded two first-round draft choices for running back Ricky Williams and everyone knows how well that worked out for them. If Williams plays tonight, it will be his first time in an NFL game in two years after suspensions for substance abuse.

In the six drafts between 1998 and 2003, not one Miami draft pick remains on the roster. That compares to the Steelers, who have 12 draft picks from those years not only on the roster but all of them starters. The Dolphins have 10 players on injured reserve, the Steelers two.

The erosion on the field of one of the NFL's more prominent franchises has been difficult to take in South Florida, where the 1972 undefeated team celebrates every season when the final unbeaten NFL team loses.

And it wasn't that long ago when Miami was the equal of powerhouse New England. The year was 2001 and the two teams tied for first place in the old AFC East Division at 11-5, the second-best records in the conference only to the Steelers' 13-3. The Patriots earned the title and the No. 2 seed through the tiebreaker and Miami lost its first playoff game to Baltimore.

Dave Wannstedt coached the Dolphins then and his 43-33 record remains second in Miami coaching history only to Hall of Famer Don Shula.

But while the Patriots went on to three Super Bowl victories, the Dolphins have not made another playoff and find themselves winless coming to Heinz Field tonight.

They'll get no sympathy in Pittsburgh, though.

"I don't ever want to know what they're going through," Steelers tackle Willie Colon said. "I was down that road in college and it wasn't good. It's frustrating. They have to go out and try to get it done every Sunday or Monday night. When you put all that preparation into it and not get it, it's frustrating."

What happened to the Dolphins, who were 9-7 in 2005 and had possible playoff expectations this season under a new coach, a new quarterback and a new outside linebacker in Joey Porter?

Injuries, age and youth. Their defense got old, their offense young with four rookie starters tonight, and the resulting chemistry did not so much as explode as blow up in their faces. They still have big names such as Porter, Woodland Hills alum Jason Taylor, Keith Traylor, Vonnie Holliday and Zach Thomas. None, though, remains at the top of his game and that group averages over 33 years old and has 58 years of NFL experience combined. Thomas won't play tonight because of an injury, and they're starting their fifth safety because of injuries.

The only franchise with a perfect season seems headed toward an imperfect one.

"None of us want to be this position nor did we plan it being this way," Cameron said. A win "would be a nice boost for everybody."