Tiebreakers seal Steelers' fate despite triumph over Dolphins
MIAMI — The Steelers left the stadium in Miami still in contention for an AFC wild-card berth. By the time their plane landed in Pittsburgh, their season was over.
The reigning Super Bowl champs did their part Sunday by beating the Dolphins 30-24. But Pittsburgh (9-7) was eliminated three hours later when Baltimore clinched an AFC wild-card berth by winning at Oakland, 21-13.
"We didn't do what we were supposed to do and take care of our business," receiver Santonio Holmes said. "Therefore we have to suffer with what happens."
Pittsburgh was undone by losses to the woeful Chiefs, Raiders and Browns in a span of 19 days during a late-season, five-game losing streak, then failed to make the playoffs despite winning its final three games.
"There are a lot of teams that are capable of going 6-10 facing the circumstances this group was faced with," coach Mike Tomlin said. "They knuckled down, they hung together. They did the best of their ability to fix it. We won the last three ballgames and gave ourselves a chance."
The Dolphins (7-9), who won the AFC East last season, were eliminated with 2 minutes left in their game when Houston beat New England. The Dolphins spent much of the season trying to recover from an 0-3 start, climbed above .500 for the first time at 7-6, then lost their final three games.
"I told the team 7-9 is mediocre, and mediocrity is not going to be accepted here," second-year coach Tony Sparano said.
The Steelers will miss the playoffs for only the third time since 2000. For the third consecutive time, they failed to reach the playoffs the season after winning the Super Bowl. It also happened in 1980 and 2006.
Plenty of Pittsburgh fans stayed with their team until the end. Many in the stadium wore black and gold, and the visiting team provided lots to cheer about.
The defense sent two Miami quarterbacks to the sideline, including Pat White with a scary head injury. LaMarr Woodley had two sacks, two tackles for a loss and three quarterback hurries. Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes, while Rashard Mendenhall ran for 94 yards and Willie Parker added 91.
But the crowd grew silent when White was carted off the field following a helmet-to-helmet collision with cornerback Ike Taylor. White moved his arms and legs before leaving the field after an 8-minute delay, and he was taken to a hospital for examination.
"I told him, 'I hope you feel better, man,"' said Taylor, who was unhurt. "You never want to see a guy down like that. He kept repeating, 'Thanks,' and I just kept telling him to get better."
Miami starter Chad Henne sat out the second half with an eye injury that blurred his vision, and when the rookie White departed with 2 minutes left in the third quarter, Tyler Thigpen made his first appearance for the Dolphins.
They trailed 27-10 before Thigpen led touchdown drives on his first two series.
"It irritates the heck out of you," Tomlin said. "But I didn't sense a great deal of panic. The guys made the necessary plays to keep us in it."
With 6 minutes left and the score 27-24, Joey Porter recovered Roethlisberger's fumble on a sack at the Steelers 13 to give Miami a chance to take the lead. But Thigpen was intercepted by Ryan Clark at the 2.
Taylor intercepted Thigpen in the final minute to seal the outcome, but the Steelers could do nothing about the Ravens.
"We have a singular goal every year, and that's to be world champs," Tomlin said. "We understand there are 32 teams vying for it, and there can only be one."
Notes: Steelers safety Troy Polamalu (knee) was again inactive. ... LB Jason Taylor became the fourth Dolphins player to start a game in three decades. ... Miami FB Lousaka Polite was successful in his only third-down carry to finish 16 for 16 on third- and fourth-downs.
