The Pittsburgh Steelers knocked off the Miami Dolphins Monday night in a frigid environment at Acrisure Stadium, winning 28-15 in their Week 15 matchup in the Steel City. The Steelers struggled early on in the game, entering halftime up just 7-3 after a rushing touchdown by Connor Heyward late in the second quarter to put the Steelers on top. The Steelers would never look back after that point, as they eventually went up 28-3 in the second half in a game they dominated from the late second quarter on.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell and tight end Connor Heyward celebrate in Steelers' 28-15 win on Monday Night Football against Miami Dolphins.
The Steelers needed the win following the Baltimore Ravens' victory against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in order to keep their division lead in the AFC North. The win also knocked Miami out of playoff contention, who came into the game on a high note. It was mentioned coming into the matchup that the Steelers could face more criticism if a Monday Miami meltdown were to occur, but the Steelers made sure that did not happen in front of the home crowd.
The Steelers still have their work cut out for them if they want to win the AFC North and make the playoffs in 2025, but they certainly do still control their own destiny with three weeks of football remaining. Following Monday night's victory over the Dolphins, the Steelers received some high praise from one person in particular regarding their performance. Pro football Hall of Famer and ESPN Monday Night Football announcer Troy Aikman made a bold statement regarding the Steelers after calling their game Monday night against Miami.
"I think [the Steelers] can be real dangerous," Aikman admitted.
Aikman made this statement to Scott Van Pelt on ESPN's SportsCenter following the game against Miami, which was broadcast nationally on the network. One reason for Aikman making these comments may have been from a balanced offensive attack from Pittsburgh, which saw them score from several different players and in several different ways. The touchdown that the Steelers scored late in the first half was a rushing touchdown by Heyward, as they were lined up in the infamous "Tush Push" formation. The Steelers also received a rushing touchdown from tight end, and former Dolphin, Jonnu Smith, in the second half. Pittsburgh's scoring was capped off by receiving touchdowns from wide receivers DK Metcalf, as well as Marques Valdez-Scantling.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throwing a pass in the Week 15 win over the Miami Dolphins.
The Steelers also played a sound game defensively, as cornerback Asante Samuel intercepted Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the first quarter. They also held Miami's versatile running back De'Von Achane to just 60 yards rushing. This was key, as Miami is a team used to playing in the warm weather and it was speculated that they would lean on the running game in the frigid cold to try and beat the Steelers.
Steelers Impose Their Will Versus Dolphins On Monday Night
The Steelers took a little while to get going on Monday night, as they stalled on several drives before the aforementioned Heyward rushing touchdown late in the second half. However, the Steelers then found a rhythm and a balanced offensive attack that allowed them to take full control of the game from there on out and they never really looked back. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was 23 of 27 for 224 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions, good for a passer rating of 125.9.
Justin Guido / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) rushing past former Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick of the Miami Dolphins (29) during the Week 15 win in 2025.
The Steelers will now shift their attention to the final three weeks of the 2025 NFL regular season, as they get ready to head to Ford Field in Detroit and take on the Detroit Lions in Week 16. They will look to put together a three-game winning streak to follow up on their past two strong outings when they face a desperate Lions team, who is fighting to stay alive in the NFC Playoff picture. This will prove to be a solid test for the Steelers, as the Lions are a more talented and balanced team than the Dolphins and Ravens, but the Steelers can back Aikman's words with another strong performance in Detroit this coming Sunday.
Do you think the Steelers proved that they can be a dangerous team come playoff time? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
