Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins lasted one half against the Steelers before allowing 27 unanswered points. Although the Dolphins started with a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, things went downhill from there as the winless Dolphins continued to make a push for the No. 1 pick.
However, the loss mixed the Steelers’ first-round pick, which the Dolphins own, to an outside top-10 pick now. The Steelers looked at this game as a huge performance for the defense again.
Several players, including Isaiah Buggs, played consistently for the first time, and Devin Bush, as well as T.J. Watt, also made impacts.
On the offensive side, both quarterbacks were opposites. Fitzpatrick started hot then cooled off. Mason Rudolph, returning from an injury, struggled early before he ended with two touchdowns to go with his 251 yards.
First Half
Mason Rudolph put the Steelers in a hole early. On their first drive, Rudolph looked for wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. He released the ball and cornerback Xavien Howard intercepted the pass.
The Dolphins started in field goal range, as running back Mark Walton carried for a yard. On the next play, Fitzpatrick threw a deep pass down the middle to Jakeem Grant. Another short pass to Albert Wilson for five yards put the Dolphins up, 7-0.
The Steelers tried to answer back while starting at their own 30-yard line. Running back James Conner started the drive with an extravagant 25-yard run. Rudolph then took a few shots short and deep but failed to pick up a ton of yardage.
By the time they got to mid-field, Rudolph threw another interception. However, the call was reversed and ruled an incompletion. The Steelers use the luck they had and went for it on a fourth down. The conversion failed and the Dolphins responded.
A drive that capped 11 plays and 60 of Fitzpatrick’s 190 passing yards led to a 14-0 lead with over a minute left in the first quarter.
The Steelers’ offense began to wake up as they marched down the field.
Smith-Schuster’s 34-yard catch put the Steelers at the Dolphins’ 25-yard line. After this play, Conner and the offense picked up a handful of yards before jumping on the scoreboard with three.
The Dolphins had one last drive as Fitzpatrick tried to end the game early. After a Ballage four-yard carry, the Dolphins looked to go deep. Fitzpatrick had his mindset to throw deep, but it was intended to the wrong target.
Former Dolphin Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted the pass and returned it to mid-field. The Steelers only needed six plays to add six to the scoreboard.
While sitting at a third and long, the Dolphins sent an all-out blitz. Only a few defensive backs sat back, playing 10 to 20 yards off the ball. Rudolph recognized the pressure and released to Diontae Johnson on a two-yard drag. The drag opened up space and James Washington landed a block for a 45-yard catch and run to end the half at 14-10 in favor of the Dolphins.
Second Half
It was certainly the end of the Dolphins’ reign in Pittsburgh. The Steelers began the half marching into the edge of field goal range. A 52-yard field goal attempt from Chris Boswell fell short, but it led to the rolling of the Steelers’ offense and defense.
Ryan Fitzpatrick tried to push the Steelers deep off the bat. Two straight incompletions led to a third and 10 for the Dolphins. Fitzpatrick went risky again and tested Minkah Fitzpatrick again. Minkah won again and picked off his second ball of the night.
He was downed on the Steelers’ three-yard line, but Conner began the drive with two rushes for 23 yards. A 17-yard pass to Smith-Schuster and a 21-yard pass to James Washington put the Steelers on their own 34-yard line.
Benny Snell, Jr. and a few other young options helped Rudolph move the ball to the Dolphins’ 26-yard line. Smith-Schuster then added to the highlight tape with a leaping 26-yard touchdown catch to put the Steelers ahead of the Dolphins, 17-14.
Heading into the end of the third quarter, Ryan Fitzpatrick sat with a fourth down. What was originally a play-action pass, Fitzpatrick ran for the first down and got it. However, the Steelers challenged and won. They picked up the ball from the turnover on downs.
Rudolph got some help from a defensive pass interference that supported the Steelers position. Rudolph continued to find Smith-Schuster until Conner ended the drive with a diving nine-yard touchdown.
Back-to-back fumbles for the Dolphins ended with three points. The Dolphins could not finalize a drive and ended with a 27-14 loss.
Conclusion
With the Steelers coming in as two-touchdown favorites, they did not live up to the hype. Rudolph’s slow start was the main reason, but the offense is struggling to find a leader to control them. The Dolphins, on the other hand, seemed to have the game won. Instead, they will fight for a first overall pick, especially after the trade deadline.
