Freezing the Fish: Steelers Maintain Monday Night Magic, Eliminate Dolphins

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PITTSBURGH, PA — The Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6) delivered a crucial statement victory on Monday Night Football, dominating the Miami Dolphins (6-8) 28-15 at Acrisure Stadium. The win, powered by a second-half offensive explosion and a relentless defense, preserved the Steelers’ lead in the AFC North and, simultaneously, officially eliminated the Dolphins from playoff contention.

The victory extended a remarkable franchise streak, marking the Steelers’ 23rd consecutive home win on Monday Night Football, a streak dating back to 1991.

A Tale of Two Halves

The game began as a chilly, defensive slugfest, but the Steelers completely overwhelmed the Dolphins after the break.

Sluggish Start: The first half featured just 10 total points, with the Dolphins breaking the scoreless drought on a 54-yard field goal from Riley Patterson. However, the Steelers responded just before the break, capping a 12-play, 60-yard drive with a 1-yard “tush push” touchdown plunge from fullback Connor Heyward with 17 seconds left, giving Pittsburgh a slim 7-3 lead at halftime.
The Third-Quarter Knockout: The Steelers delivered the decisive blow in the third quarter, scoring 14 unanswered points and holding the Miami offense to a stunning minus-20 yards of total offense.
On the first drive of the half, Aaron Rodgers connected with his former Packers teammate, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, for a 19-yard touchdown pass.
Later in the quarter, Rodgers found DK Metcalf for a spectacular 28-yard score, where Metcalf refused to go down, shrugging off defenders to muscle his way into the end zone for a $21-3$ lead.

Rodgers and Gainwell Dominate

The Steelers’ offense found its identity in the second half through efficiency and a punishing run game.

Surgical Rodgers: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was surgical, posting his highest completion rate of the season by hitting 23 of 27 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. The performance allowed Rodgers to pass Peyton Manning for the third-most career games with multiple passing touchdowns (166).
Kenneth Gainwell’s Versatility: Running back Kenneth Gainwell was the workhorse, leading the team with 126 scrimmage yards (80 rushing, 46 receiving). His relentless work kept the clock moving and the Dolphins’ defense tired, leading to a stretch where the Steelers scored touchdowns on four straight possessions.

Dolphins Fade in the Cold

The loss confirms a harsh truth for the Dolphins: their offense continues to struggle mightily in cold-weather games.

Tua Struggles: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was under constant duress, getting sacked four times and throwing his league-leading $15^{th}$ interception to cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. early in the game. Much of his final production (254 yards, 2 TDs) came in meaningless garbage time with the game out of reach.
Elimination: Miami entered the game with slim playoff hopes after a late-season surge, but the defeat drops them to $6-8$ , officially ending their bid for the postseason and snapping their four-game winning streak.

The Steelers (8-6) now maintain their one-game lead over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, securing a firm grip on a playoff spot with three weeks remaining.