PITTSBURGH _ It was a good season for the Miami Dolphins, but what a bad day.
Pittsburgh, led by its high-powered offensive trio of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le'Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown, manhandled the Dolphins, 30-12, Sunday in an AFC wild-card playoff game at Heinz Field.
The frigid conditions _ temperature at kickoff was 17 degrees with a wind chill making it feel like 2 degrees, and it kept getting colder _ didn't affect the Dolphins' performance one bit. It was the Steelers' talent that was the problem.
The Dolphins (10-7), who entered having won nine of their past 11 games, were making their first playoff appearance since the 2008 season after having their first winning season _ and first 10-win season since 2008.
But Sunday was a total disaster for first-year coach Adam Gase's team.
The Dolphins allowed Pittsburgh to score on drives of 85, 90 and 83 yards in the first half. And the Dolphins' third down defense, which ranked fourth in the NFL entering the game allowing a 36.2 percent conversion rate, was disappointing as Pittsburgh went 4 of 9 (44.4 percent).
Running back Jay Ajayi, who rushed for 204 yards against the Steelers in October when the Dolphins won, 30-15, was held to 33 yards on 16 carries, and quarterback Matt Moore lost two fumbles and threw an interception.
By contrast, Pittsburgh (11-5), now on an eight-game winning streak, got commanding performances from its big offensive stars.
Roethlisberger was 13-of-18 passing for 197 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Bell had 167 yards rushing, a Steelers playoff record, on 29 carries and had two touchdowns. And wide receiver Antonio Brown had five receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns, one a 50-yarder and the other a 62-yarder, both coming in the first quarter.
The Dolphins had a chance to get back into the game late in the second quarter and early in the third.
Both chances were crushed by Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who sacked Moore and caused fumbles that the Steelers recovered to end both possessions.
Trailing, 20-6, with 27 seconds left in the half, the Dolphins drove to the Steelers' 8-yard line but Harrison came in untouched around the left side, stripped the ball, sacked Moore and recovered the fumble.
The Dolphins, still trailing, 20-6, took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove to the Pittsburgh 37-yard line. But Harrison drove Ajayi into Moore, and when the two collided Moore fumbled. Free safety Mike Mitchell recovered.
This was nothing resembling the first time these teams met this season, which started a six-game winning streak for the Dolphins and a four-game losing streak for the Steelers.
The Dolphins defeated the Steelers, 30-15, on Oct. 16, and held the dangerous trio of Roethlisberger, Bell and Brown to manageable totals of 189 yards passing, 53 yards rushing on 10 carries, and four receptions for 39 yards.
On Sunday, the Steelers' dangerous trio, starting together for the first time in the playoffs, wore out the Dolphins.
At halftime, when the Steelers led, 20-6, Roethlisberger was 11-of-12 passing for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He had a passer rating of 123.6. Bell had 17 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown, and Brown had four receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
The Steelers took their 20-6 halftime lead after Bell scored on a 1-yard run.
Miami cut its first quarter deficit to 14-3 on a 38-yard field goal by kicker Andrew Franks to cap a 38-yard drive highlighted by a 36-yard completion from Moore to Kenny Stills.
The Steelers took a 14-0 lead on two long passing touchdowns _ a 50-yarder by Brown and then a 62-yarder by Brown. In fact, Brown, who attended Miami Norland High School, had three receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter.
On the first touchdown, Brown caught a short pass on the sideline in front of the Steelers bench and took it to the house. On the second touchdown, Brown caught a short pass in front of cornerback Tony Lippett on the sideline in front of the Steelers bench, cut to the middle past safety Bacarri Rambo, who missed the tackle, and scored.
