Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith had big games against their former team, and the Steelers won their 23rd consecutive home game on Monday Night Football.
On a cold night at Acrisure Stadium, the Steelers froze out the Dolphins 28-15.
The Steelers (8-6) maintained their one-game lead over the Ravens, while the Dolphins (6-8) were eliminated from playoff contention.
Two former Dolphins played key roles on Monday night, with tight end Jonnu Smith running 14 yards for a touchdown on a tight end toss sweep and defensive back Jalen Ramsey totaling six tackles and a sack. The Dolphins traded Smith and Ramsey for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and draft picks. Fitzpatrick had six tackles, including one for loss.
The Steelers punted on their first three possessions before scoring touchdowns on four consecutive drives — one to end the first half and the first three of the second half — to take a 28-3 lead.
Tight end Darren Waller scored two late touchdowns for the Dolphins on catches of 6 and 13 yards to make the final score more respectable than it was.
The Steelers outgained the Dolphins 336 to 285.
Aaron Rodgers went 23-of-27 for 224 yards and two touchdowns, a 19-yard throw to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and a 28-yarder to DK Metcalf. Kenneth Gainwell had a big night, with 13 rushes for 80 yards and seven catches for 46 yards, and Metcalf caught three passes for 55 yards.
Tight end Connor Heyward had the Steelers’ other touchdown on a 1-yard run on the Steelers’ version of the tush push.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was 22-of-28 for 254 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. De’Von Achane had 12 carries for 60 yards and six catches for 67 yards, while Waller had seven catches for 66 yards.
The Steelers haven’t lost a Monday night home game since 1991, and the Dolphins still have won only two games ever when the game-time temperature is under 20 degrees.
Steelers Clips
The Steelers are putting it on the Dolphins.
Pittsburgh scored on a fourth consecutive drive, with Jonnu Smith running it in from 14 yards out on a tight end toss sweep. With 13:01 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Steelers lead 28-3.
The Dolphins traded Smith and Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers in the offseason for Minkah Fitzpatrick and draft picks. Ramsey has five tackles and a sack tonight, and now Smith has a touchdown.
Aaron Rodgers has completed 22 of 26 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns, and Kenneth Gainwell has 11 carries for 76 yards and seven catches for 46 yards.
The Steelers list left guard Isaac Seumalo as doubtful to return with a triceps injury. He was injured with 1:47 remaining in the third quarter.
Spencer Anderson has replaced Seumalo.
The Steelers punted on their first three drives. They have scored touchdowns on their last three drives.
The Steelers lead the Dolphins 21-3.
DK Metcalf caught a 28-yard touchdown pass with 4:58 remaining in the third quarter to increase the Steelers’ lead. Dolphins safety Ashtyn Davis nearly got a hand on the ball as he dove in front of it.
The touchdown came on third-and-12.
The Steelers began the night 0-for-6 on third down but have converted their past four.
Rodgers is 19-of-22 for 180 yards and two touchdowns, with Metcalf catching three for 55 and a score.
The Steelers scored at the end of the first half and then scored again at the beginning of the second half. They have a 14-3 lead on the Dolphins.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught his first touchdown pass as a Steeler, with his 19-yard score coming with 11:20 remaining in the third quarter.
The Steelers, who closed the first half with Connor Heyward scoring his first career rushing touchdown with 17 seconds left in the second quarter, took the opening kickoff in the third quarter. They marched 71 yards in only six plays.
Kenneth Gainwell had the big play in the possession with a 38-yard run to the Miami 22 before Minkah Fitzpatrick pushed him out of bounds.
Aaron Rodgers has completed 10 passes in a row and now is 14-of-15 for 124 yards and a touchdown. Gainwell has six catches for 41 yards and five rushes for 44 yards.
The Steelers had 48 yards, three first downs and three punts on their first three possessions. They had 60 yards, six first downs and a touchdown on their fourth drive.
On a cold night in Pittsburgh, the Steelers lead the Dolphins 7-3 at halftime.
Connor Heyward scored on a 1-yard touchdown run out of the wildcat, which is the Steelers’ version of the tush push. Tight end Darnell Washington pushed Heyward into the end zone on third down for Heyward’s first career rushing touchdown.
It came with only 17 seconds left in the first half.
The touchdown run marked the Steelers’ first third-down conversion of the night after going 0-for-6 to start the game. They are 3-for-3 on fourth-down conversions, including one on the touchdown drive.
Aaron Rodgers was 5-for-5 on the possession and finished the first half 13-of-14 for 105 yards. Kenneth Gainwell has six catches for 41 yards, and Jaylen Warren has eight carries for 20 yards.
The Steelers have 116 yards to 113 for the Dolphins but had the ball for 17:48 in a fast-moving first half.
The Dolphins scored their only points on a 54-yard field goal by Riley Patterson with 5:11 left in the second quarter.
Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception on the team’s other possession that crossed midfield, with Asante Samuel picking a pass intended for Jaylen Waddle.
Tagovailoa is 5-of-8 for 61 yards, with De’Von Achane rushing for 49 yards on eight carries and catching two passes for 23 yards.
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger helped take the conversation about coach Mike Tomlin’s future to the next level two weeks ago, by addressing the question of whether both sides should move on in the days after a 26-7 home loss to the Bills.
Speaking to reporters on Monday night, Roethsliberger backtracked a bit.
“Just because I said that, you know, there’s a time for maybe some new things — that’s just saying that I think, you know, Coach Tomlin, if he wants to move on, he has every right to want to move on,” Roethlisberger said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. “It’s not that they should. It’s up to him. He’s earned that right. And that, you know, if he wants to go do something else he can and he should and we should honor him when that time comes. Whenever that is. Maybe he wants to coach another ten years. That’s fine, too.”
Roethlisberger’s original comments didn’t make it sound like a one-way deal, but a mutual split.
“It’s being talked about around here a lot: Maybe it’s a clean-house time. Maybe it’s time,” Roethlisberger said. “I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin. But maybe it’s best for him, too. Maybe a fresh start for him is what’s best. Whether that’s in the pros, maybe go be Penn State’s head coach. You know what he would do in Penn State? He would probably go win national championships. Because he’s a great recruiter.”
Roethlisberger made it clear two weeks ago that Tomlin should not be fired when Roethlisberger first addressed the issue. But he nevertheless indicated it may be in the team’s best interests to make a change.
“You don’t fire a guy like Coach Tomlin,” Roethlisberger said on his podcast. “He’s a Hall of Fame head coach, he’s respected. What you do is you come to an understanding and agreement, and it’s like, ‘Hey, listen, I think it’s probably best for both of us.’”
The question gets thornier if Tomlin wants to go coach another NFL team and the Steelers insist on significant draft-pick compensation. Tomlin arguably, through 19 years of service, has earned the right to not have his next opportunity bogged down by his new team giving up a first-round pick or more.
That’s where it could interesting, because Tomlin can veto any trade by declining to cooperate with the standard process of essentially trading a head coach from one team to another.
Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is active for Monday Night Football.
Warren was a late addition to the injury report with an illness.
He was questionable to play.
Warren has 159 carries for a team-best 652 yards and four touchdowns.
The Steelers, though, won’t have defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, who is inactive with a knee injury. He was questionable to play.
The first-round rookie has 22 tackles, two sacks and four quarterback hits this season.
The team’s other inactives are wide receiver Roman Wilson, quarterback Will Howard, offensive lineman Andrus Peat (concussion), defensive tackle Brodric Martin-Rhodes and outside linebacker T.J. Watt (lung). Howard will serve as the emergency third quarterback.
The Dolphins’ inactives are quarterback Quinn Ewers, defensive back Elijah Campbell (ankle/knee), cornerback A.J. Green, offensive lineman Larry Borom (illness), wide receiver Tahj Washington and defensive tackle Matthew Butler.
One Steelers receiver had gotten a promotion.
In advance of Monday night’s matchup with Miami, Pittsburgh announced the club has signed veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the 53-man roster off of the practice squad.
Valdes-Scantling made his Steelers debut in last week’s win over the Ravens. While he did not receive a target, he was on the field for 16 of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps.
Valdes-Scantling previously appeared in five games for the 49ers this season, catching four passes for 40 yards.
As a corresponding move, the Steelers released receiver Ke’Shawn Williams.
Additionally, Pittsburgh has elevated offensive lineman Jack Driscoll and defensive end DeMarvin Leal from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Monday night’s game.
The Dolphins signed linebacker Quinton Bell to the active roster from the practice squad on Monday, the team announced. The Dolphins waived linebacker Andre Carter II in a corresponding move.
The team also announced it has elevated offensive lineman Kion Smith to the active roster for Monday Night Football.
Bell has bounced between the active roster and the practice squad this season. He has seen action on 30 defensive snaps and 45 on special teams in three games, totaling one tackle.
He has appeared in 30 career games, with three starts, in five seasons with Tampa Bay (2020), Atlanta (2022) and Miami (2023-25). Bell has recorded 27 tackles, one sack, one pass defensed and one forced fumble in his career.
He also has four special teams tackles.
Carter has appeared in 15 career games in two seasons with Minnesota (2023) and Las Vegas (2024), recording three tackles and half a sack. He entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent, signing with Minnesota in 2023.
Smith has played 21 career games, with two starts at right guard, in two seasons with the Dolphins (2023, 2025). He has seen action in 12 games this season.
Smith also spent two seasons on Miami’s practice squad (2021-22) and the 2024 season on injured reserve. He entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent in 2021 with Atlanta, where he spent the offseason and training camp before signing with Miami.
The Steelers have downgraded running back Jaylen Warren to questionable due to an illness, the club announced on Monday.
Via Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, Warren woke up sick and is receiving fluids. But he’s optimistic about playing against the Dolphins on Monday night.
Warren, 27, has rushed for 652 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games this season. He’s caught 30 passes for 277 yards with two TDs.
Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee) is also questionable for the Steelers while linebacker T.J. Watt (lung), guard Andrus Peat (concussion), and cornerback James Pierre (calf) have all been ruled out.
