James Conner, JuJu Smith-Schuster TDs Lead Steelers Past Winless Dolphins on MNF

The 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers have started to right the ship.

Pittsburgh improved to 3-1 in its last four games with a 27-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night at Heinz Field. The team is still just 3-4 on the year but sits in second place alone in the AFC North behind the 5-2 Baltimore Ravens after James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster spearheaded the latest effort with impressive showings.

As for the Dolphins, they are 0-7 on the campaign and appear closer to the No. 1 pick of the 2020 NFL draft than the undefeated New England Patriots in the AFC East.

Notable Fantasy Stats

• PIT QB Mason Rudolph: 20-of-36 passing for 251 yards, two touchdowns and one interception
• PIT RB James Conner: 23 carries for 145 yards and one touchdown; three catches for five yards
• PIT WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: five catches for 103 yards and one touchdown
• MIA QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: 21-of-34 passing for 190 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions

Mason Rudolph Earns Win but Doesn't Inspire Confidence

This was Mason Rudolph's first game since he suffered a concussion in an Oct. 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and he looked like anything but the quarterback of the future for extended stretches.

He threw an interception to Xavien Howard, threw an incompletion on fourth down and fumbled (without losing it) on Pittsburgh's first three possessions, and the Heinz Field crowd rained boos down on the offense. It was fair to wonder if the team should switch to Devlin Hodges, who defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in Rudolph's place.

Fortunately for the Oklahoma State product, his teammates and the inevitability of the Dolphins making mistakes bailed him out.

Conner started getting loose in the second half, forcing additional defenders into the box and creating space downfield. Minkah Fitzpatrick kept Pittsburgh close with multiple interceptions against his former team, and receivers Diontae Johnson and Smith-Schuster did the heavy lifting on their touchdown receptions.

Johnson's touchdown was on a short underneath route on 3rd-and-20 that turned into a 45-yard score thanks to a defensive formation that was questionable to say the least. Smith-Schuster battled tight coverage and high-pointed a pass over Chris Lammons with Howard on the sideline because of a knee injury.

Just for good measure, the defense stopped Ryan Fitzpatrick on a fourth down that was seemingly reviewed forever before Conner created much-needed separation with a touchdown.

Getting the win was the most important thing, but Rudolph did not inspire much confidence even with improved play in the second half against arguably the worst team in the league. The path gets much more difficult facing the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams, who are a combined 10-5, in the next two games.

If he plays like he did in the early going Monday, the hole will be too deep for his teammates to dig out of.

Dolphins Inching Closer to a Win

It's not a foregone conclusion the Dolphins will go 0-16 this year.

Fitzpatrick replaced Josh Rosen during an Oct. 13 loss to Washington and almost overcame a 17-3 deficit before a failed two-point conversion at the end of the game. He was also solid last time out against the Buffalo Bills before the Dolphins were outscored by 15 in the fourth quarter.

It appeared as if Miami was finally going to find the win column when Fitzpatrick hit Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns for early touchdowns. The veteran used his mobility to avoid pressure and pick up key third-down conversions, but the entire game changed when the defense inexplicably blitzed eight on the 3rd-and-20 touchdown for Johnson.

Howard's injury and Mark Walton's fumble when the visitors were driving in the fourth quarter didn't help either, and the game slowly slipped away.

There have been enough silver linings in the last three games to suggest the Dolphins' win is coming. It just didn't arrive Monday.

What's Next?

Both teams are home in Week 9, when the Steelers will face the Indianapolis Colts and the Dolphins will square off with the New York Jets.