All eyes were on how the Miami Dolphins would play in the cold.

In the first half, they certainly looked to be a new team. They tackled. They ran the ball somewhat effectively. And they held the Pittsburgh Steelers to just seven points.

Unfortunately, football has four quarters, and the Dolphins didn’t show up when the Steelers began to hit their stride, leading to a 28-15 loss.

The Steelers scored 21 of their 28 points in the final two quarters as star quarterback Aaron Rodgers tossed two touchdowns and missed on just four passes in the victory. Although Miami showed some fight in the fourth quarter, with tight end Darren Waller scoring a pair of touchdowns, it was little too late.

What makes this loss particularly heartbreaking is that Miami’s slim playoff chances have disappeared with a loss.

Another Tua turnover

Turnovers can be drive killers.

So when Tua Tagovailoa lofted a ball into the air for Jaylen Waddle in the first quarter, it unfortunately was only right that Asante Samuel Jr. dropped back into coverage to pick it off.

The worst part: the Dolphins looked to have finally found some rhythm on that drive. In fact, Miami had entered into Pittsburgh territory and didn’t even necessarily need Tagovailoa to air the ball out as it was only first down.

Although the turnover didn’t result in a score, the defense subsequently had to endure a 13-play drive from the Steelers, something that undoubtedly made them a bit tired so that by the end of the half, it let Pittsburgh in for the first touchdown of the day.

Tagovailoa, who completed 79% of his passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, now single-handedly leads the league in interceptions with 15 on the season.

Special teams mistake

All it takes is one.

Dolphins kicker Riley Patterson’s landing zone infraction gave the Steelers the ball at their own 40-yard line.

A dozen plays later, the Steelers found themselves in the end zone right before halftime to go up 7-3. Such mistakes cannot happen when the game happens to be this close.

Awful 3rd quarter

The best teams execute in the third quarter.

Miami, however, looked awful after halftime.

Not only did the Dolphins allow two touchdowns in the quarter, the offense lost 20 yards when you account for the two sacks that Tagovailoa took during the period.

The Steelers, meanwhile, accumulated 163 yards, two passing touchdowns to receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and DK Metcalf as well as finally found some success in the run game after averaging 1.8 yards per carry in the first half. Defensively, they even forced the Dolphins to back-to-back three-and-outs on their two drives of the quarter.

Dolphins can't get De'von Achane going

The star running back looked solid on his 12 carries for 60 yards.

There was just one issue: the Steelers made a point to kill the run game.

Ultimately, Achane finished with 128 yards of total offense — he caught six balls for 68 yards — yet it was clear that the Steelers refused to let him determine the outcome of the game.

And once the Dolphins fell behind, the game was on Tagovailoa’s shoulders, a position in which he has consistently failed to deliver in 2025.

Run defense falls apart

The run defense looked solid in the first half.

Pittsburgh’s running back tandem of Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren carried the ball a combined 11 times for 23 yards. Tight end Connor Heyward added another 4 yards on four quarterback sneak attempts.

Something, however, clicked in the second half. On the first drive, Gainwell rattled off a 38-yard run, and the Steelers never quite looked back.

The Steelers would finish with 135 yards on the ground. Gainwell led all rushers with 80 yards on 13 attempts. Warren added another 33 on 12 carries. Rookie rusher Kaleb Johnson got 4 yards on two attempts, while tight end Jonnu Smith took his only carry 14 yards for a touchdown.

Unfortunately, the Dolphins’ run defense has let them down before. That, however, had more to do with a lopsided time of possession in the third quarter — 11 minutes to just four — than anything else as Miami’s offense couldn’t stay on the field.

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