Week 15 | Monday Night Football | December 15, 2025 | Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA Attendance: 65,663 | Final: Pittsburgh Steelers 28, Miami Dolphins 15
Aaron Rodgers stood in 16-degree cold at Acrisure Stadium and picked apart a Miami defense that had no answer for him, becoming the oldest quarterback in NFL history to complete at least 85% of his passes in a game. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 28-15, knocked Miami out of playoff contention, and held their one-game lead atop the AFC North.
The Dolphins arrived on a four-game winning streak, needing the win to keep their postseason chances alive. They left with minus-20 total yards in the third quarter and a season officially over.
Table of Contents
Scoring Timeline
| Qtr | Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 5:11 | MIA | Riley Patterson 54-yd FG (career long) | MIA 3 – PIT 0 |
| 2nd | 0:17 | PIT | Connor Heyward 1-yd rush (Boswell kick) | MIA 3 – PIT 7 |
| 3rd | 11:20 | PIT | Marquez Valdes-Scantling 19-yd pass from Rodgers (Boswell kick) | MIA 3 – PIT 14 |
| 3rd | 4:58 | PIT | DK Metcalf 28-yd pass from Rodgers (Boswell kick) | MIA 3 – PIT 21 |
| 4th | 13:01 | PIT | Jonnu Smith 14-yd rush (Boswell kick) | MIA 3 – PIT 28 |
| 4th | 9:41 | MIA | Darren Waller 6-yd pass from Tagovailoa (2-pt failed) | MIA 9 – PIT 28 |
| 4th | 2:32 | MIA | Darren Waller 13-yd pass from Tagovailoa (2-pt failed) | MIA 15 – PIT 28 |
How the Third Quarter Finished Miami Off
Pittsburgh was far from perfect through the first half. A sluggish, low-scoring 30 minutes produced just one field goal and one Steelers touchdown. Tua Tagovailoa had actually moved the Dolphins into field goal range on three early possessions, and Riley Patterson’s 54-yarder gave Miami a brief 3-0 lead.
That was as good as it got.
Asante Samuel Jr., six months removed from neck surgery and working off Pittsburgh’s practice squad, intercepted Tagovailoa to cut off Miami’s most dangerous drive before halftime. Pittsburgh then marched 60 yards in 12 plays to take the lead on a Connor Heyward short-yardage score.
From that point, the Steelers scored touchdowns on four straight possessions. Rodgers connected with Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a crisp 19-yard strike early in the third, then dropped a dart between two defenders to DK Metcalf for 28 yards — Metcalf shoved Minkah Fitzpatrick on his way to the end zone. Jonnu Smith’s 14-yard scoring run on a fourth-quarter toss sweep made it 28-3 before Miami’s two late garbage-time touchdowns from Darren Waller padded the final score.
Miami recorded minus-20 yards of total offense in the third quarter. The Dolphins did not cross midfield once during that stretch.
“I feel real comfortable in this environment.” — Aaron Rodgers
Quarterback Box Score
| Stat | Tua Tagovailoa (MIA) | Aaron Rodgers (PIT) |
|---|---|---|
| Completions / Attempts | 22 / 28 | 23 / 27 |
| Completion % | 78.6% | 85.2% |
| Passing Yards | 253 | 224 |
| Touchdowns | 2 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 0 |
| Passer Rating | 113.2 | 125.9 |
| Sacks Taken | 4 (–31 yds) | 3 (–23 yds) |
| Avg. Depth of Target | 7.0 yds | 3.6 yds |
| Avg. Time to Throw | 3.38 sec | 2.39 sec |
| Adjusted Completion % | 88.5% | 88.9% |
| Air Yards | 133 | 51 |
| Yards After Catch | 133 | 174 |
| Pressures Allowed | 21 | 5 |
Rodgers worked almost exclusively underneath, averaging just 3.6 yards of depth per target and getting the ball out in 2.39 seconds. His offensive line allowed 5 total pressures all night. For comparison, Miami’s line gave up 21, including 13 hurries and 4 sacks. That protection gap defined the entire second half.
The 85.2% completion rate made Rodgers the oldest player in league history to hit that mark. He also passed Peyton Manning for third all-time in multi-touchdown passing games, reaching 166.
Tagovailoa’s interception was his NFL-leading 15th of the season. He is now 0-14 in career starts when the game-time temperature is below 40 degrees.
“I think he’s the best quarterback to ever play this game. I don’t care if he’s 65 years old or not, he can still spin the ball and he’s always playing chess with the defense.” — Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Rushing Box Score
| Player | Team | Carries | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De’Von Achane | MIA | 12 | 60 | 5.0 | 15 | 0 |
| Jaylen Wright | MIA | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | MIA | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ollie Gordon II | MIA | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 |
| MIA Team | 16 | 63 | 3.9 | 15 | 0 | |
| Kenneth Gainwell | PIT | 13 | 80 | 6.2 | 38 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | PIT | 12 | 33 | 2.8 | 6 | 0 |
| Jonnu Smith | PIT | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 14 | 1 |
| Connor Heyward | PIT | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 |
| Kaleb Johnson | PIT | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 3 | 0 |
| PIT Team | 32 | 135 | 4.2 | 38 | 2 |
Pittsburgh doubled Miami on the ground — 135 yards to 63 — and converted three of three fourth-down attempts while controlling the clock for over 33 minutes. Kenneth Gainwell led all rushers with 80 yards and seven receptions, finishing with 126 total scrimmage yards.
Receiving Box Score
| Player | Team | Targets | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De’Von Achane | MIA | 6 | 6 | 67 | 11.2 | 0 | 24 | 45 |
| Darren Waller | MIA | 8 | 7 | 66 | 9.4 | 2 | 20 | 20 |
| Greg Dulcich | MIA | 2 | 2 | 46 | 23.0 | 0 | 29 | 21 |
| Jaylen Waddle | MIA | 4 | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 0 | 16 | 5 |
| Julian Hill | MIA | 2 | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 0 | 20 | 20 |
| Malik Washington | MIA | 1 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 | 9 |
| Jaylen Wright | MIA | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 10 |
| Alec Ingold | MIA | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | MIA | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| MIA Team | 26 | 22 | 253 | 11.5 | 2 | 29 | 133 | |
| DK Metcalf | PIT | 3 | 3 | 55 | 18.3 | 1 | 28 | 21 |
| Kenneth Gainwell | PIT | 7 | 7 | 46 | 6.6 | 0 | 10 | 47 |
| Pat Freiermuth | PIT | 5 | 3 | 45 | 15.0 | 0 | 22 | 35 |
| Darnell Washington | PIT | 4 | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 0 | 13 | 26 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | PIT | 1 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | PIT | 3 | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 0 | 10 | 28 |
| Jonnu Smith | PIT | 2 | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 10 | 15 |
| Adam Thielen | PIT | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| Calvin Austin III | PIT | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| PIT Team | 27 | 23 | 224 | 9.7 | 2 | 28 | 174 |
De’Von Achane was Miami’s most productive player on both sides of the backfield with 127 combined scrimmage yards, but the Dolphins’ offense went silent for long stretches when the game was still competitive. Waller’s two scores both came after Pittsburgh had already put the game away.
Full Team Stats
| Category | Miami Dolphins | Pittsburgh Steelers |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 285 | 336 |
| Passing Yards (net) | 222 | 201 |
| Rushing Yards | 63 | 135 |
| Total Plays | 48 | 62 |
| Yards per Play | 5.9 | 5.4 |
| First Downs | 16 | 22 |
| Passing First Downs | 15 | 11 |
| Rushing First Downs | 1 | 8 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 2 / 8 (25%) | 4 / 13 (31%) |
| 4th Down Efficiency | 1 / 1 | 3 / 3 |
| Total Drives | 10 | 9 |
| Avg. Plays per Drive | 5.2 | 7.6 |
| Avg. Yards per Drive | 25.9 | 35.1 |
| Avg. Points per Drive | 1.4 | 2.8 |
| Red Zone (Scores / Att.) | 2 / 2 (100%) | 3 / 3 (100%) |
| Explosive Runs (10+ yds) | 1 | 2 |
| Explosive Passes (15+ yds) | 7 | 5 |
| Total Pressures Allowed | 21 | 5 |
| Sacks Allowed | 4 (–31 yds) | 3 (–23 yds) |
| Penalties | 6 for 31 yds | 4 for 25 yds |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of Possession | 26:27 | 33:33 |
| Avg. EPA per Play | +0.018 | +0.171 |
Defensive Box Score
Miami Dolphins Defense
| Player | Pos | Total | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordyn Brooks | LB | 13 | 7 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Tyrel Dodson | LB | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Jones | CB | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Minkah Fitzpatrick | S | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ashtyn Davis | S | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rasul Douglas | CB | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bradley Chubb | ED | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ifeatu Melifonwu | S | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Sieler | DI | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Zeek Biggers | DI | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Chop Robinson | ED | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Pittsburgh Steelers Defense
| Player | Pos | Total | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Queen | LB | 10 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | S | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cameron Heyward | DI | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Malik Harrison | LB | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | LB | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Esezi Otomewo | DI | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jack Sawyer | ED | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | ED | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Asante Samuel Jr. | CB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | S | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Interceptions
| Player | Team | INT | Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asante Samuel Jr. | PIT | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Injuries
- Miami: Ollie Gordon II (left ankle, exited Q2); Minkah Fitzpatrick (calf, exited Q3)
- Pittsburgh: Isaac Seumalo (triceps, did not return after Q3); Nick Herbig (hamstring, evaluated late); T.J. Watt (out indefinitely, collapsed lung from dry-needling treatment the previous week)
Game Context
Pittsburgh won for just the second time in 13 games without T.J. Watt over his nine-year career. Cameron Heyward, 36 years old, recorded a sack and then performed Watt’s signature leg-kick celebration on the Acrisure Stadium turf in tribute to his injured teammate. The Steelers’ defense held Miami to their worst third-quarter offensive output of the season without their best pass rusher.
For Miami, the loss completed one of the more turbulent seasons in recent franchise history. The Dolphins started 1-6, rattled off wins to reach 6-7 entering Week 15, and still could not hold their ground when it counted.
“When you start the season the way we did, we made it hard on ourselves.” — Tua Tagovailoa
“We’ve got all the confidence in our guys to go out there and play a hell of a game. Obviously they did.” — Patrick Queen
The complete Dolphins vs Steelers player stats from December 15, 2025 show a team that controlled every phase of the game that mattered. Pittsburgh ran the ball at will, protected Rodgers on a night he set a league record, and forced a turnover at the exact moment Miami had momentum. The final score of 28-15 was not fully reflective of how one-sided the middle 30 minutes were.
Stats sourced from ESPN, NFL.com, Associated Press, and Pro Football Focus post-game data. All figures are official.
