The Pittsburgh Steelers’ dormant offense suddenly awoke.
After three fruitless drives to begin the game, the Steelers scored touchdowns on four consecutive possessions on their way to a 28-15 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. The Steelers (8-6) maintained their one-game lead in the AFC North over the Baltimore Ravens (7-7) with three games remaining.
The Steelers trailed 3-0 when they drove 60 plays in 12 times, the march ending when fullback Connor Heyward scored on a 1-yard run on a direct snap with 17 seconds to go in the first half.
The Steelers went on to score TDs in each of their next possessions to move in front 28-3 with 13:01 remaining. Aaron Rodgers threw touchdown passes of 19 yards to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and 28 yards to DK Metcalf, and tight end Jonnu Smith scored on a 14-yard run.
The Dolphins closed to 28-15 on a pair of touchdown passes from Tua Tagovailoa to Darren Waller, covering 6 and 13 yards. The second score came with 2:32 left, but it was not enough to keep the Dolphins (6-8) from being eliminated from playoff contention and having their four-game winning streak snapped.
The Steelers have won back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game winning streak from Sept. 21-Oct. 12, that was part of a 4-1 start to the season. They had lost five of their previous seven games before beating the Ravens last week in Baltimore.
Rodgers completed 23 of 27 passes for 224 yards. Kenneth Gainwell had 126 total yards as he rushed for 80 yards on 13 carries and caught seven passes for 46 yards. The Steelers held a 336-285 edge in total yardage.
The Steelers held De’Von Achane, the third-leading rusher in the NFL, to 60 yards on 12 carries. Tagovailoa was 22-of-28 passing for 254 yards.
Patrick Queen had a team-high 10 tackles, including two for loss, for the Steelers. Asante Samuel intercepted a pass, and Jalen Ramsey, Cameron Heyward, Payton Wilson, and Esezi Otomewo each had one sack.
The Steelers visit the Lions (8-6) on Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit, then host the Cleveland Browns (3-11) and Ravens to conclude the season.