Behind the Steel Curtain
Pittsburgh has now stacked two impactful AFC wins in a row, downing the Miami Dolphins 28-15 on Monday Night Football in a game that felt over in the fourth quarter. As always, there are plenty of takeaways to be had.
From the end of the second quarter through the beginning of the fourth, the Steelers scored four consecutive touchdowns and gave up zero points in a 28-0 run that put Miami out of the picture well before the game ended.
The offense was humming — and for much of the game, uncharacteristic. The team not only went for it on fourth down a whopping three times, but converted all three — including one from their own 30 yard line. And quarterback Aaron Rodgers unlocked a part of the field that has long been absent from both his game and the Steelers’ offense: the middle.
Rodgers isn’t the same quarterback downfield he used to be, but he certainly hasn’t lost his velocity in the short and intermediate game — especially now that he’s healthy again. His touchdown pass to D.K. Metcalf, whether he saw the closing safety or not, was a laser that fit through the smallest of windows.
But when you’re not pushing the ball deep much (Rodgers had a hilariously low average depth of target in the first half), you can stretch the defense by passing all over the width of the field. It’s also where tight end Pat Freiermuth — who has undoubtedly been underused this season — is at his best. He recorded 45 receiving yards on Monday.
Of course, it’s tough to gauge just how quality of an opponent Miami was on Monday. Sure, they had won four straight entering Week 15, but only one was against a team that isn’t currently slated for a top-10 draft pick in 2026. Plus, the “Miami doesn’t play well in the cold” narrative is as much a statistical fact as it is a meme.
Again, it’s time for the obligatory “don’t get your hopes too high” addendum following every Steelers win.
However, what stood out the most during that 28-0 run was that Pittsburgh hasn’t looked that good all year. The Steelers collapsed in a brutal way late in the 2024-25 season, and after two ugly losses in Weeks 12 and 13, it looked like they were about to disappoint yet again. But instead, they’re back on the upswing entering the home stretch of the regular season. This team?
Entering the playoffs with some momentum is such an important part of actually doing something when you get there. There are still three games left in the regular season, but Monday’s win was a good sign.
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