Steelers vs. Dolphins, Week 8: Knee-Jerk Reactions to the Steelers’ ugly 27-14 win over the Dolphins

Here we go! The Steelers had a pretty rough start to the the season by going 1-4, but a win in Los Angeles gave Steeler Nation a whole lot of hope that they can rebound and make a run. Miami is awful, but they have pride and are playing with house money. The Steelers can’t afford to look past this team. So again, this is really a must win. Let’s see if they can beat a team that they are supposed to.

Nonetheless, a simple reminder, a knee jerk reaction is an immediate and unthinking, emotional reaction. It’s basically shooting first and apologizing later. I can safely say that’s a true definition of your’s truly and a good lot of Steeler Nation. Here’s my real-time reactions during the Steelers’ quest for 3-4.

Quarter 1

• Crowd seems fired up. They really need to put on a show for them tonight.
• I love when they come out in the all black. Sleekness personified.
• Is it me or does the whole ESPN presentation of Monday Night Football seem like cable access compared to NBC or MNF of the 80s and 90s?
• Miami looks depleted. Maybe because they are.
• Good first series. Cam with the hurry on the man with the hobo beard.
• Mason needs to get going quickly.
• He doesn’t seem to be too antsy due to the concussion.
• That was ugly. McFarland made excuses that Pouncey was driven back into Rudolph, but that was an irresponsible throw.
• Maybe the defense can hold.
• No. No they can not.
• Just like that, the Steelers are losing to Miami. Ugggggh!
• Vintage Switzer on the non-return.
• Great to see Rosie Nix back.
• And he helped open the hole for that huge run by JC for 25.
• Conner was lucky to not get a face mask on that stiff arm.

Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

• Mason doesn’t look right at all
• Steelers got lucky with the illegal hands to the face. They would have been punting.
• Nice effort by Snell. Gonna get negated though.
• I don’t care if they got bailed out there by an out of bounds, Washington needs to catch that football. I know it wasn’t, but that’s like a pick in my book. The intent was there.
• Washington with another drop. Time may be running out on No. 13.
• Turnover on downs.
• Big sack by Bud.
• Can’t let them convert a third down. C’mon.
• Excellent coverage by Steven Nelson.
• Mark Barron just pushed Allen Hurns in the end zone.
• 14-0 Phins. Whoa!
• This is crazy.
• Mason better do something here.
• Great combat run for Conner.
• JC is going to need to take over
• End of one. Down by 14. Gotta be kidding me.

Quarter 2

• Xavien Howard is pretty good.
• I love them going deep. Just isn’t working.
• I can’t believe Mason completed that ball to Conner.
• Liking me some Bennie Snell Football.
• Gotta convert this third down and extend this drive.
• Feiler got beat and Mason held the ball way too long.
• This is bad.
• Fitzpatrick is tearing this team up.
• Preston Williams is victimizing Joe Haden.
• Hilton was interfered with. Could’ve been a pick-six.
• I thought Hilton was offsides on that blitz. Wasn’t though.
• Good stop.
• Mason deep in his own end is scary,
• That third-down pickup by Mason to DJ was huge.
• Gotta do something with it.
• Conner is really running well and getting holes too.
• That was a big time throw to JuJu. 34 yards!
• Johnson fell down there. That wasn’t on Mason. That’s a shame.
• Well, at least the got points.
• Cam Heyward has really stepped up and is having a nice night.
• Dammit. T.J. with the bad timing for a neutral zone infraction.
• Defense has to help out if there’s any hope.
• Minkah! Timely pick.
• As bad as he looks at times, he makes big throws on third down at times.
• Big grab by JuJu.
• Huge catch by Deonte Johnson. That was beautiful.
• What? That doesn’t look like an offensive pass interference.
• They aren’t going to reverse it. They should though.
• This is tough to watch.
• Just get in long FG range.
• Holy Shiznit!!!!! What a play!!!!!
• Diontae Johnson...that was amazing.
• Rudolph with good vision to find DJ, a great block by JWash and great RAC from No. 18 all made that third-and-20 TD happen.

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• End of two. 14-10 Dolphins.

Quarter 3

• The Steelers can really get the game back on this drive.
• Conner needs to follow Rosie’s block.
• I like the pass play to Vannett.
• 17 for Conner. This is absolutely what we’ve been looking for.
• BSF is battling for yards.
• That was a goofy throw from Rudy.
• Ramon Foster in concussion tent. That not good.
• Mason needed to convert there. He’s throwing off of his back foot.
• Boswell misses a 54-yarder. It was a low probability kick.
• Nelson with honorable coverage on the deep ball.
• TJW90 with some major league pressure there.
• Huge third down.
• Vinny Williams with a major disruption on Minkah’s second pick.
• What an athletic grab for the centerfielder. Fitz giving Fitz fits.
• Mason, deep in his own end, is not afraid.
• That was a big conversion for MR to JJSS.
• Dammit Vanimal. Can’t do that stuff.
• Almost picked again.
• JWash with the big first down. Was afraid he was gonna get pick-pocketed.
• Love the way No. 30 is running tonight.
• Don’t slide James.
• Snell is running hard.
• DJ is becoming clutch.
• Wow! That was a beautiful and difficult TD catch for the Juje.

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• End of three. 17-14...Steelers.

Quarter 4

• Don’t think Tomlin is going to win this challenge, but I believe in it.
• Steelers won their first regular or postseason challenge since the beginning of 2017.
• This is technically in the third quarter, but I don’t care.
• I love Deonte Johnson.
• This is pretty vintage running from the Steelers.
• Don’t like the BSJ knee injury. Not good.
• Really need a TD here.
• That’s PI. Good call.
• Now make them pay.
• That was some crazy trickery.
• JuJu is a fighter.
• No excuse for a delay of game.
• Thats a true score. Conner running really well.
• Defense needs to close it out.
• Third and 13, and they convert. Not good.
• Yesssss! Mike Hilton forced a big fumble and an aware Steven Nelson jumped on it.
• Let’s run out this game.
• Conner looks like Fitzpatrick. That’s a divot John Madden would have loved.
• DJ was wide open. Can’t overthrow him like that.
• Overthrew Washington too.
• Defense needs to close it out.
• Sack, fumble and recovery all by T.J. That was huge.
• Boz comes up big. This game could be over. 27-14.
• Big fourth down sack by Heyward.
• Not a pretty win. But still a big win.

Once again, I just shot first and I’ll apologize later. All reactions were in real time. Basically, it is the equivalent of watching me do the highlights if I hadn’t been blacklisted by the major networks. Now time to watch it again and see what really happened. Make sure you get your voice heard in the comments below.