Following the results of Week 12, it was no surprise to see the Pittsburgh Steelers slide in the power rankings. Losing to an unserious team like the Browns is going to hurt your public figure. Thankfully, Mike Tomlin's team capitalized on a shot to repair their tarnished reputation in Week 13.
The Steelers held a 41-24 lead against the Bengals in the second half before Joe Burrow and company fought back to ultimately make it a 44-38 game. Still, Tomlin will gladly take the win as his team advanced to 9-3 on the season -- exceeding the season totals oddsmakers set the betting line at for Pittsburgh before the start of the season.
This year, the Steelers have proven they have a well-balanced team that can compete with any type of opponent. Pittsburgh has won high-powered shootouts as well as low-scoring slugfests. With a top-ten offense and defense, Pittsburgh is undoubtedly a competitor, and they've landed back in the good graces of the national media in the latest power rankings.
Steelers power rankings roundup entering Week 14:
The NFL Nation staff at ESPN was hard on the Steelers for a while, but they are coming to the realization that this is a good team. Pittsburgh's Week 13 win over the Bengals vaulted Tomlin's team from 7th to 5th in their updated power rankings -- leapfrogging the 10-2 Vikings and 9-3 Packers.
Eric Edholm, NFL.com: 7th
Eric Edholm is currently on the same wavelength as ESPN -- pegging the Steelers as the 7th-best team in the league entering Week 14. Edholm points to Russell Wilson's success and the team's best offensive game of the season. Their 44 points in Week 13 was more than Pittsburgh has scored in a game since reaching 52 points with Ben Roethlisberger back in 2018. The Steelers move up one spot in NFL.com's power rankings.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 7th
Likewise, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also has the Steelers bumping up to the 7th spot in the power rankings, as they leap over the Baltimore Ravens (who slide three spots after the loss to the Eagles). Florio has the Steelers trailing the Lions, Bills, Eagles, Chiefs, Vikings, and Packers.
Pete Prisco rode the hype train early with the Steelers but dinged them for their TNF loss against the Browns. Now Pittsburgh is apparently back in Prisco's good graces as they jump up two spots to 7th overall in CBS Sports' latest NFL power rankings. Prisco has Tomlin's team jumping ahead of the Chargers and Ravens entering Week 14.
Nate Davis of USA Today remained unphased by Pittsburgh's loss against the Browns in Week 12, just as he didn't read much into their win against the Bengals. The Steelers stick at 6th in his power rankings -- narrowly topping the Ravens, Commanders, and Vikings.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 7th
Over at Yahoo! Sports, Frank Schwab has the Steelers climbing one spot in the rankings with the Ravens slipping. Schwab points to Russell Wilson as a Comeback Player of the Year candidate after his dominant performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13.