The Pittsburgh Steelers secured a decisive 28-15 victory over the Miami Dolphins, with standout performances from players often overlooked in the spotlight. Connor Heyward got the Steelers on the board first. On an important third-and-1 before halftime, he punched across the team’s first points. His touchdown all but sealed the game on a “tush push” that was equal parts willpower and gang mentality.
A fourth-string offensive lineman, Dylan Cook was forced to make his first career start in this high-stakes contest. Even if he wasn’t filling up the box score, he made his impact felt. Head Coach Mike Tomlin raved about Cook’s play, suggesting that he thought Cook was “above the line” for the game. She touched on the need to develop players schematically so they could be put in alignment to look the best.
Aaron Rodgers went 23/27 for a whopping 224 yards. He was particularly happy with how well his teammates did. Post game, he beamed as he looked through the box score. He jumped at the chance to rattle off the names of several players—spelling an important victory for his squad with their timely contributions.
“There’s some castoffs if you look at our roster, which makes it really special.” – Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers further stressed the character of those who answered the call, stressing that most had been passed over by other organizations. He pointed to Kenneth Gainwell who signed a short money contract and burst onto the scene. He singled out Connor Heyward’s breakout game. Though forgotten about at the beginning of the year, Heyward quickly emerged as an integral piece of the offense.
“Kenny Gainwell signed a next-to-nothing contract. Connor Heyward, an afterthought, had a touchdown run. Marquez has been on a couple teams. Adam Thielen got cut. Samuel was on the street for a long time. So says a lot about the character of the guys we brought in.” – Aaron Rodgers
Asante Samuel Jr. left his stamp on the game with a pick of Tua Tagovailoa in the first quarter of the contest. His production showed how badly he wanted to prove himself after going most of the 2020 season without a contract. Cam Heyward, Connor’s brother and team captain, emphasized the collective effort of the team and noted that players were dedicated to learning and improving.
“It’s a testament to guys buying in.” – Cam Heyward
Cam also observed that new addition Adam Thielen showed up ready to grind. He really jumped right into the playbook and he took the time and energy to learn this offense from the start.
“Coach always talks about jumping on a moving train. These guys are professionals. I’m watching, as soon as Thielen gets here, he’s opening up his playbook and still studying. They spend a lot of time really learning the offense, learning the defense. Asante has been really chomping at the bit to get reps, and he played very well with them.” – Cam Heyward
In both their execution and their versatility, the Steelers’ offense showed how dangerous they can be on Sunday. Rodgers’ high completion percentage of 85.2% was indicative of a well-executed game plan that took advantage of Miami’s defensive weaknesses. The combination of one of the strongest veteran leaderships with one of the strongest contributions from unsung heroes was their winning formula.
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