Steelers vs. Dolphins: 5 Surprises in Monday’s Win

The Steelers didn’t just beat the Dolphins on Monday Night Football—they blindsided them. What looked like a tough matchup on paper turned into one of Pittsburgh’s most unpredictable performances of the season, with the team finally finding consistency—and creativity—in every phase.

From unconventional red‑zone play calls to unexpected heroes stepping into the spotlight, this was a game that kept revealing new layers as it unfolded. If you thought you knew what to expect from this team, this win probably made you rethink a few things.

Let’s dig into the biggest surprises that shaped the Steelers’ 28–15 victory and why they matter heading into the final stretch.

Aaron Rodgers

The 42-year-old former four-time league MVP showed how much he thrives in cold weather as the elder statesman put in one of his finest performances in over a decade by completing 85.2% of his 27 passes for two touchdowns.

Rodgers led the Steelers offense to four-straight touchdown drives, Pittsburgh’s first such occurrence since the 2018 season.

Rodgers would finish the evening with 224 yards passing and a 125.9 rating, as the Steelers had a rare offensive achievement: winning the time of possession battle. Following multiple 70+ yard scoring drives, the Steelers would finish with 33:33 in time of possession and run 62 plays to the Dolphins’ 42.

Kenneth Gainwell

Another rare offensive achievement came as the Steelers gained 135 yards on the ground, their third-best outing of the season.

The bulk of the production came from Kenneth Gainwell, who carried the ball 13 times for 80 yards, including a 38-yard long sprint down the sideline in front of Miami’s bench.

Jaylen Warren, who reportedly woke up sick Monday morning, was given fluids and still played: though is production slipped to 12 carries for 33 yards.

It would be one of the few times this season that the Steelers ran the ball more (32 attempts) than they passed (27 attempts) in what was a balanced offensive attack.

Steelers Tight Ends

The theme of this article thus far is rarity, and what could be more rare than something that’s never happened before in NFL history?

Connor Heyward, who had a strange stat line of four carries for four yards, was “tush pushed” multiple times to gain first down yardage in short yard situations. One of those carries would result in the tight end scoring a touchdown, which would be matched later on by another tight end on the roster.

Jonnu Smith, formerly of the Dolphins, lined up in the backfield and paced past defenders for a 14-yard score early in the fourth quarter.

It would mark the first and only time two tight ends have scored rushing touchdowns in league history.

Steelers Defense

The Steelers defense and offense finally played complimentary to one another on Monday, even without T.J. Watt.

Pittsburgh sacked Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa four times throughout the game, with sacks coming from Payton Wilson, Esezi Otomewo, Cameron Heyward, and former Dolphin Jalen Ramsey.

The Steelers shutdown the Dolphins rushing attack, which was averaging close to 200 yards-per-game, to only 63 yards, with 60 of those yards coming from De’Von Achane.

Miami was only able to muster three points until less than ten minutes remaining in the game: a huge feat for a Steelers defense reeling from injuries and unable to stop the run in other games.

Asante Samuel

A huge contribution in the Steelers’ defensive turnaround came from Samuel, who joined the team in November. Samuel was a street free agent who was injured in practice with the Los Angeles Chargers over one year ago. Samuel underwent back surgery and was trying to make a return to the NFL.

What better way than his first start in a year, with Samuel playing the entire game. He would make a huge play early, intercepting Tagovailoa in the first quarter.