After seeing the Steelers come out as flat against the Colts as they did in Week 4, we could have assumed Pittsburgh was going to take a hit in the latest NFL power rankings. Through the first three weeks of the season, Mike Tomlin's team possessed a 3-0 record as one of five undefeated teams in the league.
One week later the script has flipped. Pittsburgh's defense was exposed for the first time this season in the 24-27 loss to the Colts. While Justin Fields rallied back late in the game, it wasn't enough for the NFL media to quickly jump off the Steelers bandwagon as one of the league's best teams.
Pittsburgh could be flying high again with a win against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, but they took a notable hit in the NFL power rankings after Week 4.
Steelers power ranking roundup entering Week 5:
Eric Edholm, NFL.com: 10th
Eric Edholm was cautiously optimistic about the Steelers entering Week 4 -- slotting them 9th overall. After the loss to the Colts, NFL.com has Pittsburgh falling just one spot. Edholm pointed to the Week 4 loss as the biggest reason for the drop in the power rankings.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 12th
ESPN has been all over the place when slotting the Steelers in NFL power rankings this year. The team of NFL Nation writers rode the wave of success before tossing Pittsburgh to the side. They dropped from 7th to 12th in the power rankings in just one week after giving up 27 points to the Colts.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 7th
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is the highest on the Steelers this week, but he still has Pittsburgh falling from the No. 4 spot in Week 4. Florio believes a string of losses could lead to Russell Wilson starting when he's healthy. Justin Fields would have something to say about that.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 9th
Pete Prisco was a Steelers truther in Week 4 -- placing Mike Tomlin's team 5th in the power rankings. That ranking has since dropped to 9th following the loss. The defense was a letdown in Justin Fields' best performance of the season.
Josh Kendall, The Athletic: 10th
Josh Kendall of The Athletic has Pittsburgh slipping just two spots from Week 4 to Week 5. Kendall points to a makeshift offensive line that includes rookies who have impressed so far. He's also a fan of the way Justin Fields has been playing.
Nate Davis, USA Today: 8th
Nate Davis isn't jumping off the Steelers bandwagon just yet. In fact, Davis didn't drop Pittsburgh in his NFL power rankings entering Week 5 -- despite the loss to Indianapolis. He noted that Justin Fields played his best game on the same day the defense played their worst.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 13th
Following the loss, Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports has the Steelers dipping from 11th to the 13th spot in the latest NFL power rankings. Schwab points to the inability of the offense and defense to show up on the same day as the reason for the decline.
David Helman, FOX Sports: 14th
At least he's consistent. David Helman of FOX Sports had Pittsburgh 14th in the power rankings before Week 4, and they remain unchanged. It was ironic that the Steelers suffered their first loss on the day the offense put up their best performance of the season.