PITTSBURGH — The Miami Dolphins’ late surge in the season will ultimately leave them short of any postseason aspirations.
The Pittsburgh Steelers scored touchdowns at the end of the first half and start of the second half to spark a run of 28 unanswered points as the Dolphins were pounded before scoring a pair of late touchdowns for a 28-15 final at frigid Acrisure Stadium in temperatures in the teens Monday night.
Miami (6-8) is eliminated from playoff contention with three weeks remaining in the NFL season. Pittsburgh (8-6) stays out in front of the Baltimore Ravens atop the AFC North.
The Dolphins had their four-game winning streak snapped, which was prolonging the elimination that was a foregone conclusion back when the team was 1-6 and 2-7. The franchise has now lost 14 consecutive games in kickoff temperatures below 40 degrees.
Miami could never get an offensive drive going while the score was still competitive. The team only surpassed 100 yards of offense early in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went 22 of 28 for 254 yards, an interception and two late touchdowns.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was 23 of 27 for 224 yards and two touchdowns. Pittsburgh running back Kenneth Gainwell had 80 rushing yards and 46 receiving as he was found by Rodgers for seven receptions, often in the flat.
Dolphins running back De’Von Achane had 60 rushing yards and 68 receiving.
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The Steelers took a 7-3 lead with 17 seconds left before halftime as fullback Connor Heyward punched in a touchdown from the 1-yard line on a Tush Push.
Receiving the football to start the second half, the Steelers scored in six plays, with Rodgers finding longtime teammate in Green Bay, wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a deep crossing route for a 19-yard touchdown where the defense lost track of him.
Later in the third quarter, Rodgers found big wide receiver DK Metcalf over the middle for a 28-yard touchdown. Safety Ashtyn Davis whiffed trying to swoop in front of the pass, Metcalf tossed Dolphins defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, making his return to Pittsburgh to the side and outraced the rest of the Miami defense for the score.
The rout was on, and early in the fourth quarter, tight end Jonnu Smith, who was a Pro Bowl selection for the Dolphins in 2024, scored a touchdown against his former team, an 11-yard rush to the outside.
As Smith had his moment against his former team, earlier, ex-Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, now playing safety for the Steelers, had a sack on Tagovailoa. Ramsey was jawing with the Miami sideline whenever involved with a play near his former teammates.
Miami finally got moving offensively once down 25, as Tagovailoa twice threw touchdown passes to big tight end Darren Waller, but the Dolphins were not in a hurry and didn’t go for an onside kick between the two trips to the end zone.
The first points of the game were scored with 5:11 left in the second quarter as Riley Patterson just got a 54-yard field-goal attempt over the crossbar, kicking into Acrisure Stadium’s open end zone.
The key play on the drive was Tagovailoa extending a third-down play by rolling left and finding Achane over the middle for a 24-yard gain. Miami got the 3 points despite running back Ollie Gordon’s third-and-1 rush losing 4 yards.
Tagovailoa threw a first-quarter interception to former St. Thomas Aquinas High standout Asante Samuel Jr., who was a midseason pickup by Pittsburgh after recovering from neck surgery. Samuel dropped into a zone that was under Waddle’s corner route and in perfect position to pick off Tagovailoa’s underthrow.
Pittsburgh had two first-half series end in third-down sacks of Rodgers, one by linebacker Jordyn Brooks and the other by defensive tackle Zach Sieler. Brooks’ sack sent the Steelers out of field-goal range.
While the Steelers were 1 for 7 on third downs in the first half, they had three fourth-down conversions.
The Steelers, playing without stellar edge rusher T.J. Watt, sacked Tagovailoa four times.
Rookie Dolphins defensive tackle Zeek Biggers had a sack of a sliding Rodgers late in Monday’s game.
The Dolphins now head back home for the short turnaround of a Sunday game against the Cincinnati Bengals, one which was flexed out of the night slot to be played at 1 p.m.
