Dowdle rushes for 112 yards as Steelers beat Broncos 36-24

Pittsburgh, PA - Rico Dowdle rushed for a game-high 112 yards, and the Pittsburgh Steelers combined a productive ground game with five red-zone trips in a 36-24 victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 12.

Pittsburgh finished with 427 offensive yards, including 212 on the ground, while earning its second consecutive victory. The Steelers entered the game at 3-7 after snapping a losing streak the previous week and followed that result with their highest-scoring output of the two-game run.

Dowdle needed only 11 carries to reach 112 yards, scoring one touchdown and producing the game's longest run at 44 yards. Eli Heidenreich added 75 yards on 12 attempts, including a 39-yard run, as Pittsburgh nearly split its production evenly between 215 passing yards and 212 rushing yards.

"Two hundred-plus yards as a group is something everybody can take pride in," Dowdle said. "I was able to get into space, Eli gave us another productive option, and we kept getting positive results from the running game."

Aaron Rodgers completed 20 of 38 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns. DK Metcalf led Pittsburgh with 77 receiving yards on six catches and scored a touchdown, while Pat Freiermuth caught four passes for 39 yards and another score. Ben Skowronek supplied six receptions for 68 yards.

The Steelers converted six of 16 third downs and both of their fourth-down attempts. They reached the red zone five times, recording three touchdowns and one field goal on those trips. Pittsburgh also collected 18 first downs, five more than Denver.

"The balance is what stands out," Rodgers said. "We had more than 200 yards both passing and rushing, and we gave ourselves several opportunities in the red zone. There are still areas we can clean up, but putting 36 points on the board is a result we can build from."

Denver's offense took a different route to its 414 offensive yards. Bo Nix delivered the game's top passing total, completing 23 of 31 attempts for 335 yards and two touchdowns. His 130.4 passer rating was also well above Rodgers' 87.0 mark, and his longest completion covered 64 yards.

Courtland Sutton was the game's leading receiver with 135 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. His 64-yard reception was the longest catch of the game. Jaylen Waddle added six receptions for 122 yards and a score, including a 59-yard gain, giving Nix two receivers who surpassed 100 yards.

"There was plenty of production in the passing game, but the result is the part that matters," Nix said. "We finished with 24 points, and Pittsburgh finished with 36. We have to look at the full picture and be better with the opportunities we get."

The Broncos were held to 79 rushing yards, with Nix accounting for 28 of them on four carries. J.K. Dobbins received a game-high 17 rushing attempts but finished with 47 yards, an average of fewer than three yards per carry, while scoring Denver's lone rushing touchdown.

That created one of the game's clearest statistical contrasts: Pittsburgh gained 133 more rushing yards despite Denver finishing with 120 more passing yards. The overall offensive totals were much closer, with only 13 yards separating the teams.

Denver converted three of 10 third downs and went 0-for-3 on fourth down. Its only red-zone trip produced a touchdown. Neither defense recorded an interception, and both teams finished with two sacks.

"We moved the ball and had explosive production in the passing game, but there are other parts of the offensive numbers that we can't ignore," Sutton said. "The receiving yards are good individually, but they don't feel the same when you leave with a loss."

Pittsburgh's 36 points stood as the defining number in a game featuring strong quarterback production from Denver and a much larger rushing total from the Steelers. The victory gave Pittsburgh consecutive wins, while the Broncos' skid reached three games after they entered Week 12 with back-to-back losses.

Up Next

The Pittsburgh Steelers will remain home in Week 13 to host the Houston Texans and look to extend their winning streak. The Denver Broncos return home looking to rebound against the Miami Dolphins.