Power Rankings: Where the Steelers stand after 14 weeks
By Tim Weaver
It seems like yesterday the Pittsburgh Steelers were kicking off the season opener, now there’s only three games left on the schedule.
This has been a tumultuous season for the Steelers, who have had their fair share of ups and downs. Injuries, upsets, comebacks, shootouts, and blowouts in prime time have also made it a pretty interesting one to follow.
On Sunday Pittsburgh earned a huge win on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals, who lead the AFC North.
To sweeten the deal even more, the Bengals lost their starting quarterback Andy Dalton for the year when he fractured a thumb trying to tackle Stephon Tuitt after throwing an intercepion. Now all of the sudden it looks like the sky is the limit for the Steelers.
Let’s check in and see where they’re being ranked around the interwebs.
NFL.com: #5
“We didn’t get the Ben Roethlisberger aerial show we anticipated, but Pittsburgh’s offense did enough — and stuck with the ground game enough — to pull off a very large W.”
ESPN: #6
“The Steelers have scored at least 30 points in five straight games for the first time in franchise history. They are averaging 494 yards of offense and 383 passing yards in that stretch.”
Yahoo Sports: #7
“Their floor each week seems to be 28 points (though that theory might be tested against the fantastic Broncos defense this week). That’s why no AFC team wants to see them in the playoffs.”
SB Nation: #7
“Ben Roethlisberger couldn’t find the end zone against the Bengals’ tough secondary, but Pittsburgh’s defense carried the day by picking off Dalton and McCarron a combined three times.”
Fox Sports: #5
“The Steelers are clicking on offense but it’s their opportunistic defense that gives them the look of a serious postseason contender.”
MMQB: #5
“I love the Denver D. But to win Sunday against the red-hot Steelers, Chris Harris and Aqib Talib are going to have to play the game of the year.”
Fansided: #9
“They came out of the gate and punched Cincinnati right in the mouth with an 11-play opening drive that resulted in a touchdown. From there it was downhill for the Bengals.”
Steelers fans must be thrilled looking at those numbers, which are easily the best that they have seen from these rankings all year.
Who had the most accurate ranking? From where we are sitting, Fansided’s number nine ranking was the most off-base (sorry, bosses). The Packers, Chiefs and Bengals all ranked ahead of them, which seems too pessimistic given Cincinnati’s new situation and Green Bay’s lack of consistency.
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On the other side, number five might be a little too strong. As hot as the Steelers are, the Seahawks and Chiefs are hotter. Yahoo Sports and SB Nation hit it on the nose with their number seven ranking.
Winning against Denver this coming Sunday might push Pittsburgh up until the realm of the Super Bowl contenders. The stakes don’t get much bigger than that.