The Steelers are on a hot streak as of late. Here’s why Pittsburgh has cracked the top 15 in recent NFL power rankings from NBC Sports.
Who would have believed that the Steelers could be a 7-5 football team with the way the season has played out so far. Pittsburgh started the season off 0-3, and just 6 of 176 teams since 1980 have been able to overcome those odds to make the playoffs.
Remarkably, the Steelers have won 6 of their last 7 games without Ben Roethlisberger. It’s because of their admirable play in the face of adversity that the Steelers are now in the top half of the league in the latest NFL power rankings.
According to Brian Perez of NBC Sports, the Steelers are now the 14th ranked team in the NFL after last week’s victory over the Cleveland Browns. Here is what Perez had to say:
"The Steelers’ win over the Browns had to be one of the most rewarding the team has had in a while. It also keeps their playoff hopes alive heading into the final quarter of the season."
Even with this praise, Pittsburgh is far from a lock to make the playoffs this season. Three of their last four games are on the road, and they still have difficult matchups against the Bills (9-3) and Ravens (10-2) to close out the season.
Buffalo is perhaps the surprise team in the NFL this year – upsetting the Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving and boasting one of the best records they have had through 12 games in recent memory.
Even more challenging, however, will be the matchup in Baltimore to finish the season. The Steelers went into overtime against the Ravens in their first contest of 2019, but a JuJu Smith-Schuster fumble swept the win out from under Pittsburgh. If the Ravens still have something to play for at the end of the season (home-field advantage or the number one overall seed), they could spoil the Steelers playoff hopes.
The Steelers have dealt with a lot of moving pieces on offense this year due to injuries and suspensions. While Maurkice Pouncey is returning this week, James Conner has already been ruled out this week and JuJu’s availability is in doubt. Fortunately, James Washington has been fantastic for Pittsburgh over the past five weeks, and he is quickly building a rapport with quarterback Devlin Hodges.
Regardless of how things turn out this season, it’s hard to be too upset with the record head coach Mike Tomlin was able to put up without his star quarterback. Let’s hope Pittsburgh continues to rise in the power rankings as playoff time approaches.