The only thing missing at Heinz Field on Monday night were animals marching two-by-two into an ark.

Considering the biblical conditions in which the Steelers and Dolphins played, it’s only fitting that this game adds another layer to historical and numerological parallels that go back a quarter century.

With rain falling on a new sheet of turf that was placed on top of the old turf, the water had nowhere to go. That made for a marsh-like playing surface that neutralized the talent disparity between the Steelers and winless Dolphins. Neither team came close to scoring until Jeff Reed kicked a 24-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to give the Steelers a 3-0 win.

Because football wasn’t meant to be played in water, there wasn’t much to take from this game between the white lines. Actually, there were no white lines because the rain just about washed them away. The Steelers’ win literally wasn’t much more than a forfeit. If the Dolphins had forfeited, the score would have been 2-0.

The statistics from this game aren’t very impressive. There’s another set of numbers that are much more compelling. These numbers signify how bad weather has linked these two proud franchises.

In the hours after Monday night’s game, clips were shown of two previous matchups between the Steelers (8-3) and Dolphins (0-11) in inclement weather. Before I get into those games, I’m going to turn the clock back a little further. 

First, let me say this. If anyone thinks the Steelers stole Monday night’s win, I swear Mark Henderson was nowhere near the area.

Who is Mark Henderson? For those of you who don’t know, here’s history lesson No. 1.

On Dec. 12, 1982, the Dolphins played the Patriots (before the Patriots became evil) in a blizzard at Foxborough, Mass. On a snow-covered field, the game was scoreless with 4:45 left in the fourth quarter.

Sounds like a game we saw recently.

The Patriots were setting up to attempt a 33-yard field goal when coach Ron Meyer summoned Henderson, who was on prison work release at what was then known as Schaefer Stadium. Driving a John Deere tractor with a sweeping device attached, Henderson cleared the area where John Smith attempted his field goal. Smith’s kick was good, and the Patriots won 3-0. Dolphins coach Don Shula raised holy hell (a quarter century later, it seems Shula has another bone to pick with the Patriots). The next year, the NFL banned such snow-removal practices.

On Monday night, 16 days short of the 25th anniversary of what is known as the Snowplow Game, the Dolphins again lost by a 3-0 score. But instead of the Patriots beating them, it was the Steelers. And instead of snow covering the field, it was water. And instead of playing in a stadium named after beer, they played in a stadium named after ketchup.

The Steelers didn’t need Henderson Monday night. But that doesn’t mean their win was without a little malfeasance. Before Reed’s kick, holder Daniel Sepulveda tried to dry the area with a towel. An official yanked the towel away.

Hopefully, this won’t become known as the Towel Game in years to come.

Since suffering the indignity of the Snowplow Game, there have been a couple of occasions when the Dolphins have been a prop as the Steelers forge turning points in franchise history. And the South Florida rain has served as the backdrop.

On Nov. 26, 1989, exactly 18 years before Monday night’s win, the Steelers beat the Dolphins 34-14 in a rainstorm (I hope everyone caught a glimpse Tim Worley’s flattop ’do when ESPN showed a clip of that game Monday night). That victory launched an improbable run. The Steelers went on to win three of their last four to make the playoffs. They upset the Houston Oilers in the wild card and lost by a point at Denver in the divisional round. That 1989 Steelers squad, which finished the regular season with a 9-7 record, might have been the least talented team to make it that far into the playoffs. But that rag-tag bunch will always hold a special place in Steelers history. It was also the last time Chuck Noll made the playoffs.

On Sept. 26, 2004 (again, the 26th of the month), in the remnants of Hurricane Jeanne, Ben Roethlisberger made his first career start. A week after replacing Tommy Maddox in a loss at Baltimore, Roethlisberger went 12 for 22 with a touchdown and an interception. It was good enough for a 13-3 win over the Dolphins. There wasn’t much fanfare, but the Big Ben Era had begun.

Nine of Roethlisberger’s 12 completions, including the touchdown, went to Hines Ward on that rainy night in 2004. On Monday night, nine of Roethlisberger’s 18 completions went to Ward. Three of those catches, for a total of 38 yards, came on the game-winning drive. Roethlisberger and Ward, two proven winners, emerged from the quagmire to set up Reed’s kick and tilt the scrum the Steelers’ way.

So we can salvage some items from this flood if we want to assess the Steelers’ performance. First the bad news. Roethlisberger was sacked five more times by a defensive unit that entered the game with just 12 sacks. On the bright side, there was the clutch play of Roethlisberger and Ward in the final minutes. And there was the fact that they won without Santonio Holmes and Troy Polamalu, among other obstacles.

What it comes down to is the Steelers found a way to win, and if history is any indication, the rest of the season should be fun.