Steelers Rally Not Enough in Loss to Dolphins

MIAMI -- After one quarter, it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers were in for a long night against the Miami Dolphins. They recovered from a 13-point first half deficit but couldn't make enough plays on offense to manufacture a go-ahead score late in the game. The Steelers fell to 2-5 after losing 16-10 in South Beach.

The Steelers won the toss and deferred their option to the second half. The Dolphins, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa back under center, moved quickly down the field for the first score of the game. It took them just nine plays to move 71 yards. Tagovailoa completed six passes to four different receivers for 67 yards and his last completion went to Raheem Mostert for an eight-yard touchdown.

Down 7-0 quickly, the Steelers went three-and-out on their first possession. Miami was just as efficient their next time with the ball. Mostert and Chase Edmunds began to gash the Steelers on the ground and set up a 24-yard field goal from Jason Sanders to put Miami up 10-0 with 5:34 left in the first quarter.

Things continued to deteriorate for the Steelers. On their next drive, Kenny Pickett lofted a deep ball to Chase Claypool, who got his legs tied up with Miami safety Justin Bethel and feel down. Bethel got a free play on the football and came down with the interception.

The Steelers were able to hold the Dolphins to another short field goal on their next drive despite getting backed up into the redzone yet again.

Trailing 13-0, the Steelers finally showed some life on their third drive of the night. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren split carries and moved the ball up into Dolphin territory before Chris Boswell put the visitors on the board with a 45-yard field goal to make it 13-3 with 11:49 left until halftime.

The Steeler defense began to find their footing as well. They came up with a stop for the first time and got the ball back for Pickett and company by forcing a punt. Same goes for the offense, who put together their best drive of the night after getting the ball back.

It began with Pickett feeding George Pickens for three catches and 40 yards. A key scramble from Pickett on third and long gave way to more hard running from Harris and the Steelers were in the redzone for the first time. They made good on that scoring opportunity with a seven-yard scoring connection from Pickett to Pickens to make it 13-10, Dolphins inside of the two-minute warning.

Maimi responded with a field goal of their own after hitting on a pair of big passes to Trent Sherifield and Tyreek Hill and went into the locker room at halftime leading 16-10.

The Steelers went three-and-out on their first possession of the second half and Miami took there's up to the opposing 15 yard line. But Larry Ogunjobi and the Steelers front came up with a massive run stuff on fourth and three to keep the Dolphins from extending their lead.

Both sides exchanged three-and-outs and punts for the first half of the fourth quarter. No one was able to move beyond midfield until Pickett hit Claypool for a conversion on third and ten from his own 40 yard line. He continued to spread the ball around for short completions and inch the Steelers closer to the endzone.

But two devastating penalties put the offense way behind the sticks and Pickett officially killed the promising drive by throwing an interception to Javon Holland.

The Steelers still had a chance to get the ball back and the defense did just that, stymieing the Dolphins yet again and forcing a punt with 2:31 left in regulation. A third down conversion of 21 yards to Pat Freiermuth and a 14-yard pass to Diontae Johnson got the Steelers within range, but Pickett's second interception of the game came right after and it secured the one-score win for Miami. After Noah Igbinoghene came down with the pick, Tagolvailoa knelt out the remaining 18 seconds to ice the victory.

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