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Steelers coach Mike Tomlin finally gets a challenge to go his way Monday night against the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field.
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Steelers notebook: Yep, it happened ... Mike Tomlin challenged a play — and won

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Steelers notebook: Yep, it happened ... Mike Tomlin challenged a play — and won

Before Monday, Steelers coach had not successfully challenged a play since January 2017

Stop the presses: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin won a challenge.

On what would have been the final play of the third quarter Monday, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick kept the ball on fourth-and-1 and was initially awarded a first down. But on the break between quarters, Tomlin decided to challenge the spot of the ball, arguing that Fitzpatrick was short of the first-down marker.

It seemed to be a curious decision, but replay clearly showed Fitzpatrick didn’t make it, giving Tomlin his first successful challenge since January 2017, in the playoffs of the 2016 season. He had lost 12 in a row since the start of the 2017 season, including his only attempt this year on an offensive pass interference call against Steelers wide receiver Johnny Holton.

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Streak-snapper

Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepts a ball against the Dolphins in the second quarter Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, at Heinz Field.
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'That kid can play': Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick keeps creating turnovers for Steelers

Kicker Chris Boswell lost his perfect season in the third quarter, missing a 54-yard field goal into the open end of the stadium. The Steelers elected to try a long kick on fourth-and-7, after passing up one from the same distance in the first quarter. On fourth-and-6, the Steelers went for it instead, but Mason Rudolph threw an incompletion.

Boswell had started the season 25 of 25 on field goals and extra points, including a 42-yard field goal in the second quarter that was his 12th of the year. Only one kicker remains perfect on all kicks: Baltimore’s Justin Tucker (16 of 16 field goals, 20 of 20 extra points).

 

Mic’d down

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After New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold was widely criticized for saying he was “seeing ghosts” during his team’s game Monday night last week against New England, the Steelers and Dolphins declined to participate in ESPN’s “Mic’d Up” segment this week.

“The ‘Monday Night Mic’d’ segment won’t be part of the Dolphins-Steelers game. We approached both teams but they declined. We are already pursuing options for next week’s game,” ESPN told Sports Business Journal in a statement.

On theOct. 21 broadcast, Darnold was expressing his difficulty in figuring out the Patriots defense, and Jets coach Adam Gase was disappointed the exchange was shown on TV.

As a fellow second-year quarterback trying to read defenses each week, Rudolph was asked after practice Thursday about the quote from Darnold that went viral. He joked that he has only seen ghosts in his dreams.

Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster jumps into the stands after catching a touchdown pass against the Dolphins in the third quarter Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, at Heinz Field.
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“No, you see it every week,” Rudolph said, referring to disguised coverage schemes like the ones that frustrated Darnold. “Defenses are extremely hard. It’s hard to put up points and it’s hard to get explosive plays.”

Also Nix’d

Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix made his return to the lineup for the first time since Week 1 at New England and wasted little time having an impact.

On Nix’s first snap, James Conner barreled ahead for 20 yards out of the I-formation. It was a positive sign for a running game that likely could’ve used an injection of Nix in its struggles while he was out with a knee injury. In his only healthy game to date, against the Patriots, he didn’t play a snap on offense.

Nix even caught a pass out of that formation midway through the second quarter, but the reception in the right flat off play-action went for no gain. He hauled in another four plays later, this one gaining 4 yards. Nix had four catches in the 2018 season, on six targets.

Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.

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First Published: October 29, 2019, 2:56 a.m.

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