Steelers Takeaways: Aaron Rodgers is Turning Back the Clock

Aaron Rodgers Continues Turning Back the Clock

The early returns on Rodgers after he suffered his left wrist injury weren't great: after missing the Steelers' Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears, he threw for just 117 yards with no touchdowns and an interception during the team's Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills, which marked a true low point for the franchise this year.

He bounced back in a big way in Pittsburgh's crucial Week 14 win over the Baltimore Ravens, though, and he was sharp vs. Miami as well.

On the night, Rodgers completed 23 of his 27 attempts for 224 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, the 42-year-old's 85 percent completion rate was his highest in a single game since Week 7 of the 2014 campaign (86%).

If this is the version of Rodgers that the Steelers are getting for the rest of the season, who knows what heights they may reach.

Kenneth Gainwell Remains Excellent

Even though Jaylen Warren suited up after initially being ruled questionable as a late addition to the injury report with an illness, it was Gainwell who stole the show amongst Pittsburgh's running backs.

Gainwell, who signed a one-year deal with the team in free agency this past offseason, ran for 80 yards on 13 carries while tacking on seven catches for 46 yards.

It was the fourth time this year that Gainwell posted more than 100 yards from scrimmage, and he's quickly become an indispensable part of the Steelers' offense.

Steelers TEs All Get in on the Action

Darnell Washington has largely outshone his tight end counterparts in Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith this season, but all three contributed to Pittsburgh's win over the Dolphins.

Washington, who was cleared from the concussion protocol several days before the game, closed it out with three catches for 25 yards.

Freiermuth, meanwhile, nearly matched his yardage total from his prior four games combined (47) by putting up 45 this time around on three receptions.

Smith, who had the revenge game narrative behind him after being dealt from Miami to Pittsburgh alongside Jalen Ramsey for Minkah Fitzpatrick in the offseason, found his way into the end zone on a 14-yard run off a toss from Rodgers in the backfield. He also hauled in two passes for 12 yards.

Steelers Get Pass Rush Help from Unlikely Sources

Without T.J. Watt, who didn't play after undergoing surgery for a partially collapsed lung that stemmed from dry needling treatment he received at the Steelers' facility last week, the team needed the other members of its defense to step up against the Dolphins.

Not only did the unit do that in the run game, which we'll get to, but it also got after Tua Tagovailoa at a rather high rate throughout the night.

More impressively, though, were some of the names that got in on the action. Inside linebacker Payton Wilson logged the second sack of both his career and his season, and Cameron Heyward finished off his first full sack since Week 3.

Outside of that pair, Jalen Ramsey notched his third quarterback takedown of the year against his former squad and his first since Week 6. Esezi Otomewo, who has stepped into an elevated role while first-round rookie Derrick Harmon has been on the mend with a knee injury, also came through with the first full sack of his NFL career.

Pittsburgh Stops Miami's Run Game

De'Von Achane is among the top running backs in the league, yet the Steelers held him in check while stifling the rest of Miami's ground attack.

Pittsburgh held the Dolphins to just 63 yards on 16 carries, which came a week after the latter put up 239 yards against the New York Jets.

Achane in particular rushed for 60 yards on 12 yards, which was still an efficient mark, but the Steelers still forced Miami to throw after going up by such a large margin. As a result, he posted his lowest single-game total since Week 5.

Pittsburgh had given up over 200 rushing yards in consecutive contests to the Bills and Ravens, so its ability to stop the Dolphins in their tracks was quite surprising and is perhaps something they can build on for the rest of the season.

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter for the latest news and updates on the Pittsburgh Steelers

• Steelers Get Closer to Playoffs With Blowout Over Dolphins
• Steelers Pro Bowler Suffers Triceps Injury
• Steelers Release Speedy Rookie WR
• How Steelers Stop Dolphins Biggest Challenge
• Steelers' Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa Share Disappointing Similarity