The Latest on the NFL’s wild-card Sunday. (All times Eastern)
1:55 p.m.
The Steelers learned a hard lesson in their loss to the Miami Dolphins earlier this season.
The Dolphins beat Pittsburgh by 15 points in Miami in a game in which Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell was hardly used. Bell got just 16 touches in that first meeting.
Pittsburgh has made him a workhorse in Sunday’s playoff game against Miami.
He had every touch on an 83-yard touchdown drive that put the Steelers up 20-3. A review of a 26-yard touchdown run was overturned because Bell was tackled just short of the goal line.
The Steelers gave him the ball on the next two plays — he was stuffed on the first carry, but appeared to score on the second. It was not ruled a touchdown, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin asked for a review and Bell finally had his touchdown.
In all, the Steelers have 258 yards total offense and three touchdowns. Bell has 99 total yards, and had 10 carries for 78 yards on his scoring drive.
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1:23 p.m.
Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown couldn’t have asked for a better start to their playoff game against the Miami Dolphins.
The duo connected on a pair of touchdowns in the first eight minutes to take a 14-0 lead over the Dolphins.
Roethisberger is 7-for-7 for 162 yds and two touchdown passes to Brown. Brown has 119 yards on three catches — and 112 of those yards came on his touchdown scores.
Brown’s first touchdown covered 50 yards on a screen pass from Roethlisberger. On the next drive, he scored on a 62-yard play.
The Dolphins scored a field goal to cut the lead to 14-3 with about three minutes left in the first quarter.
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1:15 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted little time putting the Miami Dolphins on their heels at chilly Heinz Field.
The Steelers went 85 yards in five plays for a touchdown on their opening possession. Wide receiver Antonio Brown covered the last 50, taking a screen pass from Ben Roethlisberger then sprinting down the left sideline to the end zone to give Pittsburgh an early 7-0 lead.
The Steelers offense hardly seemed bothered by the single-digit wind chills at kickoff. Roethlisberger worked exclusively out of the shotgun on the drive and completed all three of his passes.
Miami is trying to win its first playoff game since 2000.
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12:30 p.m.
The NFL’s wild-card round finishes up with two cold-weather games as the Miami Dolphins visit Pittsburgh and the Giants travel to Green Bay to renew one of the NFL’s best postseason rivalries.
Miami (10-6) beat the Steelers (11-5) 30-15 on Oct. 16 as Jay Ajayi ran for 204 yards . Despite that result, the Steelers — finally healthy — are favored by 10 at home, where it is 14 degrees. Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill is still dealing with a sprained knee, so backup Matt Moore will play.
The Packers are favored by four against the Giants. It is 10 degrees in Green Bay. That’s warmer than in 2008, when the Giants won at Lambeau when it was minus-23 with the wind-chill factor.
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