All Steelers on Deck in Dominant Win
by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published December 16, 2025, 12:39 AM
PITTSBURGH, PA – With players’ breath hanging in the crisp winter air, this felt like Steelers football again. No boos. Just Terrible Towels swirling in unison and a familiar sense of control not merely winning, but winning with authority, the way Pittsburgh expects it.
The 28–15 victory pushed the Steelers to 8–6, and once again, when Mike Tomlin’s feet are held to the fire, he proves remarkably adept at locking his team into focus.
“Certainly, we wanted to engineer victory, but we wanted to do it in a certain way,” Tomlin said afterward. “That was a hot football team.”
“Heeeere we go, Steelers!” chants rolled through Acrisure Stadium after Jonnu Smith sealed matters with a 14-yard rushing touchdown. The score ballooned to 28–3, Miami left staring at the clock, already imagining a hot shower after a frigid whipping in the Steel City.
The offensive surge didn’t begin until the final minute of the second quarter, when Connor Heyward powered in a one-yard touchdown the Steelers’ own version of the tush push.
What followed was striking.
Three straight punts gave way to four consecutive touchdown drives. Not a typo. A statement. The offense found a rhythm that both excites and unnerves, because Steelers fans know how fleeting such flow states can be.
But not tonight.
Aaron Rodgers delivered another efficient performance, finishing 23-of-27 for 224 yards and two touchdowns.
“I felt good,” Rodgers said postgame. “I feel like to be in the zone. Maybe there’d be some more, like down and field shots. I mean, it wasn’t because of the defense. They were playing soft coverage, especially at the safety position. It wasn’t a ton of down-the-field shots. So, it was very efficient game. But I expected that type of game to be efficient, and obviously, in this case, we caught the ball and we got open.”
Rodgers also leaned into the conditions, despite his West Coast roots.
“I’m a California kid, but I’ve always enjoyed playing in cold weather,” he said. “Feel like there could be some advantages to the offense. So, I’ve always enjoyed that and gifted with hands that can handle a cold ball.”
The balance showed. Pat Freiermuth moved the chains. Marques Valdes-Scantling caught his first touchdown as a Steeler. Kenneth Gainwell eclipsed 100 yards of total offense (126). The attack was efficient, smart, and composed exactly what Tomlin demands in December. A night when a variety of contributors put their hand in the pile as Tomlin likes to reference to help propel the win.”
Defensively, Pittsburgh was just as sharp. Miami’s explosive De’Von Achane was bottled up, a notable achievement for a unit that has struggled at times to contain dynamic backs. Up front, even third-string left tackle Dylan Cook held his ground in quiet but critical win.
“You know, I definitely thought he was above the line,” Tomlin said of Cook. “But it was also our job to assist him schematically. He’s another example of a guy upholding the standard man. He was a part of a winning effort tonight, and he’s deserving of congratulations for that.”
Cam Heyward logged the 91st sack of his career as part of a four-sack night on Tua Tagovailoa. The exclamation point came from Esezi Otomewo, who recorded his first full NFL sack.
“Thank God for TA (Teryl Austin), (Karl) Dunbar,” Otomewo said. “Coach Tomlin put in that position to help close out the game. Extremely grateful.”
The ship is pointed in the right direction. For a team that often oscillates between extremes, a two-game winning streak feels purposeful and timely.
“It’s that time of year,” Tomlin said. “It doesn’t need to be said.”
And on a cold Pittsburgh night, it didn’t.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
