Steelers weather storm, Dolphins' defense

Ben Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh to a 13-3 win in the rain and mud.
MIAMI (AP) -- Ben Roethlisberger's first pass was his worst.
The rookie overcame a slow start, remnants of Hurricane Jeanne and the Miami Dolphins' blitzing defense to help the Pittsburgh Steelers win 13-3 Sunday night.
Making his first NFL start, Roethlisberger was intercepted on his first play. But that was his lone costly mistake despite torrential rain in the first half that made the ball and footing slippery.
"It was muddy, and it was wet, but it was a lot of fun," said Roethlisberger, the No. 11 pick in the April draft. "To come out playing in a hurricane against that type of defense was a challenge for us."
Duce on the loose
Roethlisberger went 12-for-22 for 163 yards and the only touchdown. Duce Staley ran for 101 yards, and Pittsburgh's defense did the rest, forcing four turnovers and making a key fourth-down stop.
"The weather in the first half was not conducive to doing anything," said coach Bill Cowher, whose team improved to 2-1. "We couldn't even hold the ball. Both teams couldn't throw it. But that's the kind of football I love."
The Dolphins fell to 0-3 for the first time since 1969, the year before Don Shula became coach. They've scored 23 points this season.
"We've got to score some points," coach Dave Wannstedt said. "Let's get right down to the bottom line. We've just got to find a way to make more plays."
Hines Ward scored all the points Pittsburgh needed by making a diving catch of a pass from Roethlisberger for a 7-yard touchdown. Jeff Reed hit field goals of 40 and 51 yards, the latter coming after the Steelers stopped A.J. Feeley on a fourth-down quarterback sneak at midfield.
Jeanne takes toll
Announced attendance was 72,225, but with Florida just beginning to recover from its latest hurricane, the actual crowd was about 30,000.
Officials decided Saturday to push the starting time back 71/2 hours to avoid the worst of Hurricane Jeanne.
That meant a 48-hour wait in Miami before kickoff for the Steelers. The storm also forced them to sleep in stuffy rooms Saturday night, because Jeanne knocked out power at the team hotel from 8:30 p.m. to 5:20 a.m. Sunday.
"We lost power right in the middle of films," Roethlisberger said. "We all had flashlights, and coach Cowher was trying to come get us all to play flashlight tag in the lobby. But I don't think that anyone went."
Heavy rain in the first half left standing water in the baseball infield, which made footing especially treacherous on that part of the field. The start of the second half was delayed so the grounds crew could apply additional bags of dirt.
"That was the worst weather I ever played in," Ward said.
It turned out to be Steelers weather, and their defense bruised more than just the Dolphins' pride. A jarring tackle by Chris Hope sent running back Lamar Gordon from the game with an injured left shoulder, and his replacement, Leonard Henry, was knocked backward by a big hit from James Farrior.
Natives were restless
Even before the heaviest rain, the Dolphins committed three turnovers on their first seven plays. The crowd was small but vocal, booing Feeley, the rest of the Dolphins' offense and the play-calling.
"They ought to boo us the whole time," said linebacker Zach Thomas, directing his comments at the entire team. "We're not making big plays. Why would you pay for a ticket?"
Miami's best drive of the night covered 44 yards, setting up a 34-yard field goal by Olindo Mare with 13:25 left to make the score 6-3. But Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 61 yards for a touchdown with six minutes left.
The last rookie quarterback to beat the Dolphins was New England's Drew Bledsoe in 1994.
"Ben played well," Cowher said. "After the first play when he threw the interception, he bounced back. After that he made good decisions."