R1 Short-handed and written off, the Steelers took the field on Monday Night Football with a defense held together by tape — then sent a message the entire league felt.
Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling
The Pittsburgh Steelers continued their domination at home on Monday Night Football, crushing the Dolphins 28-15. The score doesn’t do it justice, even with a double-digit margin of victory. It was 28-3 late in the fourth, with the Steelers defense keeping the Dolphins under 100 yards until the final quarter.
There were many red flags concerning Pittsburgh’s defense heading into the matchup. They suffered a surprise injury to T.J. Watt, lost starting corner James Pierre to a calf injury, and rookie standout Derrick Harmon was a last-second inactive after he appeared to be ready to return.
Ultimately, none of it mattered. Pittsburgh showed that, even with their inconsistent play this season, they are just as resilient as ever.
Pittsburgh Steelers cruise to victory over Dolphins with patchwork defense
In the past, the Steelers without T.J. Watt in the lineup were nearly guaranteed to lose. They came into MNF with a 1-10 record without the star pass rusher since he entered the league in 2017. Add in all of their other injuries, and things looked bleak against Miami.
As it turns out, there was never anything to worry about. A sluggish first half from the offense was a bit concerning, but the defense made the Dolphins’ offense look even worse. Once Pittsburgh started getting into a rhythm after halftime, the game quickly got out of hand.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers led three straight touchdown drives to start the second half. Meanwhile, the Dolphins finished the third quarter with -20 yards, their worst total in any quarter under head coach Mike McDaniel. Dolphins’ QB Tua Tagovailoa’s final stat line looked quite good (22 of 28, 254 yards, two touchdowns, and just one interception), but almost all of his production came when the game was well in hand.
Now 8-6, the Steelers control their own destiny in their pursuit of the AFC North crown. Things will get much harder from here, with the Lions up next in Week 16 and the second meeting with the Ravens in Week 18. Still, getting a win against a surging Miami team with a banged-up roster is an impressive feat, and they should only get healthier from here.
For now, Steelers fans should be feeling good about their squad. We will see if that remains the case after next week against Detroit, but a home playoff game has never looked more likely this season.
