Multiple NFL power rankings believe Steelers are better than a handful of playoff teams

The Pittsburgh Steelers narrowly missed the playoffs, but multiple NFL power rankings from major media outlets think they are better than some teams in the tournament.

It’s so disheartening to get so close to the post-season, but miss a playoff berth because of the outcome of one game in Week 18. After the Steelers and Bills took care of business, as needed, Pittsburgh required the Jets to pull through against the Dolphins. Sadly, quarterback Joe Flacco was a letdown in the 6-9 loss that shattered Mike Tomlin’s playoff hopes.

To be honest, nobody thought they would even get that close after a cringeworthy 2-6 start to the 2022 season. This team clearly made strides down the stretch (albeit, against a pretty soft schedule), and major media outlets were taking notice.

In the weeks leading up to their season finale against the Cleveland Browns, major media outlets were really starting to take notice of the Pittsburgh Steelers as they steadily rose in the NFL power rankings.

Following the conclusion of the season, outlets like NBC Sports, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, and NFL.com each had the Steelers higher than where they finished in the standings this year.

From the top down, the Pittsburgh Steelers finished as the 16th-best team in 2022 NFL standings this year. However, updated NFL power rankings around the nation have them much higher. Pro Football talk of NBC has this team ranked as the 11th-best unit in the NFL — above a handful of playoff teams like the Giants, Ravens, Buccaneers, Seahawks, and Dolphins.

They aren’t the only ones who believe the Steelers are better than several teams that made the tournament this year. NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus has Pittsburgh ranked 13th on his Wild Card Weekend power rankings, while Yahoo Sports has them 14th.

In terms of AFC power rankings, Sunday Night Football on NBC Sports believed that they are the 6th-best team in the conference — a status that would have given them the top Wild Card seed.

Where should Steelers fall in NFL power rankings?

With the surge this team showed late in the season, it’s hard to argue against some of these rankings. While teams like the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens greatly backslid to end the year, the Steelers finished with an impressive 7-2 record. One of those losses came at the hands of Mitch Trubisky who threw 3 interceptions against the Ravens in Week 14.

As objectively as possible, I think the Steelers would still be below the New York Giants on this list. Additionally, if teams like Miami and Baltimore had their starting quarterbacks, I would rank them higher as well.

For the most part, however, I think the updated NFL power rankings are pretty accurate as to where they should be following the season finale. From my count, 11 teams are distinctly in front of Pittsburgh as of now, and you can make a case for the next 6 or 7.

While power rankings are fun to look at, what really matters is how this team performs next season. They need to carry this momentum into 2023 and continue building their roster if they want to elevate themselves to Super Bowl contenders soon.