PRO FOOTBALL : Steelers Lower Curtain on Miami, 40-24 : Marino Has 2 Interceptions Returned for Touchdowns and Fails to Throw Scoring Pass

Dan Marino, coming off a 404-yard, 4-touchdown game against Cleveland, figured to have the game of his life against one of the NFL’s worst defenses. Instead, he wound up running for his life against the suddenly inspired Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dwayne Woodruff and rookie Darin Jordan scored on interception returns, and Warren Williams, a rookie from the University of Miami, ran for 117 yards in 16 carries Sunday as the Steelers beat the Dolphins, 40-24.

Also, Louis Lipps scored on a 39-yard reverse and Gary Anderson kicked 4 field goals for the Steelers.

The Steelers scored 26 consecutive points to turn a 17-14 second-quarter deficit into a 40-17 lead.

Both teams concluded their worst seasons since 1969. Pittsburgh is 5-11, Miami 6-10. The Dolphins lost 6 of their last 7 games.

The Steelers, who won 3 of their last 4 games, turned interceptions into Woodruff’s 78-yard, first-period touchdown and Jordan’s 28-yarder in the fourth quarter. The touchdowns were the first scored this season by Pittsburgh’s defense, which led the NFL with 7 touchdowns last season.

The Steelers’ offense finished with 305 yards rushing in 47 attempts, the most yardage against the Dolphins ever.

Marino, who threw for 404 yards and 4 touchdowns in the Dolphins’ 38-31 victory over Cleveland last Monday, failed to throw a touchdown pass for only the fourth time in his last 51 games and left the game midway through the fourth quarter.

Marino, although pressured, was not sacked, marking the 12th straight game the Dolphins did not allow a sack. They allowed only 7 this season, an NFL record.

Marino completed 17 of 31 passes for 195 yards, with 2 interceptions before giving way to Ron Jaworski, who threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton with 6:37 left.

Clayton, whose receiving yardage led the NFL before the game, made 6 catches for 54 yards to finish with a team-record 86 receptions for 1,129 yards.

The Steelers, who had more than 300 yards rushing in a game for the first time since September, 1981, took the lead for good, 20-17, on Anderson’s 43-yard field goal with 9 seconds left in the first half.

There were 22,949 no-shows at sold-out Three Rivers Stadium.