This past Sunday was a very special day for the Miami Dolphins Organization!
On October 23, the team celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the 1972 Undefeated Season, the return of Tua Tagovailoa from his gruesome injury suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals in week four, the return of owner Stephen Ross after Ross had been suspended for the first six games of the season, and finally, a big Sunday Night Football matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Thankfully for the Dolphins, the final piece of a puzzle full of celebrations was executed as they defeated the Steelers 16-10, led by a dominant performance by their defense.
Emotions were flowing as Tua Tagovailoa made his much-anticipated return to the football field; as his name was announced and he ran out of that tunnel and onto the Hard Rock Stadium field, Dolphins fans were yelling and cheering for their star quarterback.
#️⃣1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/qk3jSXscCM
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) October 24, 2022
The game started strong for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense as they marched down the field on the first drive of the game that would end in a pass from Tagovailoa to running back Raheem Mostert for an 8-yard score; Mostert had a tremendous performance in this one as he would finish the primetime matchup with 79 yards on the ground and 30 yards through the air including the one receiving touchdown.
1️⃣ to 3️⃣1️⃣ on the opening drive for the TD!! 🏎
📺: Watch #PITvsMIA on @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/hXzygHLIzJ
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) October 24, 2022
Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders would go on to knock down three field goals for Miami in the first half, and no points would be scored from this offense in the second half of the game thanks in large part to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s adjusting expertise.
As for Miami’s defense, they had a stout showing from start to finish, led by a standout game in the young career of pass rusher Jaelan Phillips; the Dolphins shut down the Steelers offense time and time again. Phillips gave it his all from start to finish, including coming back from an injury in the game’s final drive.
.@JJPhillips15 with the SACK and #BudLightCelly 😎
📺: Watch #PITvsMIA on @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/BKRSsS1NDx
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) October 24, 2022
Another second-year standout for the Dolphins defense was superstar safety Jevon Holland who picked off Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett at a crucial moment in the fourth quarter.
THAT’S WHY JEVON HOLLAND IS THE CAPTAIN! 🫡@HollywoodVon | #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/J6G884iQoz
— NFL Canada (@NFLCanada) October 24, 2022
Another young Dolphins defender who had the play of his career was third-year cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, who intercepted Kenny Picket to secure the win for Miami on Sunday Night Football; after being picked on through the second half of the ball game, Igbinoghene was able to step up and secure this big-time win for his squad; something of note is that Igbinoghene was starting in place of the injured Nik Needham who suffered a season-ending injury in Miami’s week six loss to the Vikings.
Recently signed veteran defensive back Justin Bethel also had a great game for Miami including an interception of his own.
.@Jbet26 comes up with the INT! #FinsUp
📺: #PITvsMIA on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/vDQGJ9SfCd pic.twitter.com/qEJRaCByxb— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2022
Speaking of injuries, Miami also finished the game without three-year star safety Brandon Jones who left the contest after suffering a knee injury; special teams standout Clayton Fejedelem would come into the game in place of Jones and would make multiple critical plays, including batting down a potential first down pass from Pickett to tight end Pat Freiermuth in the red zone on the final drive of the game.
Clayton Fejedelem with a nasty stop on third down to force the punt pic.twitter.com/YFxFCobhPk
— FinCuts (@FinCuts) October 24, 2022
Also missing from the contest for Miami was star defensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah; former Wisconsin Badgers star Andrew Van Ginkel truly stepped up in Ogbah’s place, finishing the contest with ten tackles.
The good teams find a way to win, and Miami did just that in this game as the “next man up” mentality was on full display on Sunday Night Football.
As for the Steelers, improvement was seen throughout the night and especially on the defensive side of the ball, but ultimately, they could not fully execute against the Dolphins defense.
Pittsburgh will look to get back into the winning column against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in week eight on the road at Philly. Something funny about that Steelers vs. Eagles matchup is that Dolphins fans will be cheering on the Steelers so they can end the undefeated season of the Eagles.
Miami will look for their fifth win on the year as they fly to Detroit to take on the Lions and their former interim head coach Dan Campbell in week eight.
Let us know what you think about the Dolphins Sunday Night Football win against the Steelers by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
