It wasn’t perfect, but the 2022 Miami Dolphins honored the 1972 team the best way they could.
They did what the Dolphins from 50 years ago did all 17 times they took the field: They won.
With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa back from missing two games with a concussion, the Dolphins started strong and held on late to top the Pittsburgh Steelers, 16-10, on Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami (4-3), edging the team where ex-coach Brian Flores found a landing spot as an assistant, snapped a three-game losing streak and earned the franchise’s 500th win all-time. The Dolphins, hosting their first Sunday night game since 2017, earned their first win on “Sunday Night Football” since a 2004 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Tagovailoa went 21 of 35 for 261 yards and a touchdown. While he wasn’t intercepted, he had several close calls with Steelers defenders dropping chances at picking him off.
A defense depleted by multiple injuries at cornerback while missing defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and having safety Brandon Jones go down in the second half with a knee injury held on with late stops and forced three turnovers.
Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett was 32 of 44 for 257 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions, the last of which was grabbed by cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, tapping both feet in bounds on a pass to the pylon with 18 seconds left.
On Pittsburgh’s penultimate chance, the Steelers drove down to Miami’s 15-yard line, but back-to-back penalties from third-and-1 – an illegal shift and then a hold – put Pittsburgh into a third-and-16. Pickett was intercepted by Dolphins safety Jevon Holland.
The Dolphins then went three-and-out to give the Steelers a final chance. Pickett converted a fourth-and-6 to tight end Pat Freiermuth earlier in the final sequence to keep Pittsburgh alive ahead of Igbinoghene’s game-sealing interception.
Sunday night started with Tagovailoa going 6 of 7 on the opening drive for 68 yards and throwing a touchdown to running back Raheem Mostert in the flat that he took 8 yards for the score. Tagovailoa had completions to Jaylen Waddle for 20 yards, Tyreek Hill for 17 and tight end Mike Gesicki for 18 yards as he found soft spots in the Pittsburgh zone defense early, oftentimes off run-pass option action.
Mostert had 79 rushing yards on 16 carries, plus four receptions for 30 yards. Waddle finished with 88 receiving yards on four catches. Hill had seven receptions for 72 yards.
Miami special teams ace-turned-nickel cornerback Justin Bethel came up with an interception that was sandwiched by a pair of first-quarter field goals that extended the Dolphins lead, 13-0. Bethel, who has been forced into defensive snaps due to injuries at cornerback, was running downfield with Steelers receiver Chase Claypool, who fell on his route as Pickett’s pass went up.
The Bethel interception was the Dolphins’ first since the opening defensive series of the season for Miami, when cornerback Xavien Howard tipped a pass to the end zone for a pick from safety Jevon Holland against the New England Patriots. It was the first takeaway overall since Week 3 against Buffalo.
Still moving the ball well early, the Dolphins settled for field goals on their second and third drives of the night. Then, those holes that were open in the middle of the field started closing up.
The Steelers methodically drove down the field on a 13-play, 86-yard drive that consumed 7:29 of the second quarter and was capped by a Pickett touchdown pass to rookie wideout George Pickens, 1-on-1 against cornerback Noah Igbinoghene.
Adding another field goal from Jason Sanders before halftime, the Dolphins led, 16-10, at the time that the 1972 undefeated team was honored at intermission. But Miami and coach Mike McDaniel passed up the opportunity to tack on three more and make it a two-possession game in the middle of the third period.
Facing fourth-and-3 from the Pittsburgh 14-yard line, the Dolphins ran an inside run to Chase Edmonds that went nowhere, turning the ball over on downs.
Jaelan Phillips recorded a sack early in the second half when Zach Sieler applied interior pressure and Phillips was there on the outside to clean it up.
The Dolphins next head to Detroit to play the Lions in the first of back-to-back road games against NFC North teams, with the Chicago Bears to follow Nov. 6.
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Source: Berkshire mont