NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Steelers unanimous decision for 4th in latest rankings

The only consistent aspect of the Pittsburgh Steelers early in the season were their inconsistencies.

After an opening week tie with the Cleveland Browns, followed by a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Steelers had shown it all — amazing offense, head-scratching play calling and shoddy defense, among others.

Needless to say, the Steelers experienced a precipitous drop in the weekly NFL Power Rankings because of their poor play which resulted in a 0-1-1 record heading into Week 3. However, a 30-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football had the Steelers on the rise. Right on cue, the next week they suffered a 26-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football, the Pittsburgh roller coaster was again on the decline.

Have no fear Steelers fans, a dominant performance in Week 5 vs. the Atlanta Falcons in followed by a big win over the Cincinnati Bengals had the team continuing on their upward trend. Or as Mike Tomlin would say, “The arrow is pointing up.”

Inconsistent was the theme early with this team, but they seemed to have been rectified this after beating the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9 and the Carolina Panthers in Week 10, extending their winning streak to five straight games. A narrow victory in Jacksonville over the Jaguars has moved the Steelers’ win streak to six games, and continued their ascent in the weekly rankings.

In reality, these power rankings mean nothing, but they’re great for conversation and debate. This week, the Steelers saw themselves not just in the Top 10, but back in the Top 5.

Check out the rankings, and let us know what you think in the comment section below!

ESPN

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Los Angeles Rams
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
“Thankful for: Le’Veon Bell. So what if the Steelers got sick of answering Bell questions? His absence has galvanized the team on the way to a 7-2-1 record. Heck, they shouldn’t have cleaned out his locker. They should have left his stuff there as a reminder that this wild season is working. The Steelers might miss Bell late in the year, but clearly they wanted to show they can win without him.”
5. New England Patriots
6. Chicago Bears
7. Los Angeles Chargers
8. Houston Texans
9. Minnesota Vikings
10. Carolina Panthers

USA Today

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Los Angeles Rams
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
“Get ready to see a lot of Black and Gold. Pittsburgh will play in 4:25 p.m. ET window or later next five weeks. They’ve earned it.”
5. New England Patriots
6. Los Angeles Chargers
7. Chicago Bears
8. Houston Texans
9. Minnesota Vikings
10. Carolina Panthers

NFL.com

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Los Angeles Rams
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
“Incredible comeback in Jacksonville, though maybe not in term of points, as the Jaguars never led by more than 16. As usual, the Steelers fell victim to their habit of playing down to the opponent, which has become all too common for this group following big-time wins -- except this time, Ben Roethlisberger would not let Pittsburgh lose. His deep ball to JuJu Smith-Schuster with less than 2 minutes left was the game-turning play, making it clear that this was as much the Steelers’ day to win as it was the Jaguars’ day to lose. Smith-Schuster attacked the football, outbidding A.J. Bouye on an eBay auction gone wrong for the Jags. The game-winning play came when Roethlisberger, upon seeing that Vance McDonald was bottled up on the designed shuttle pass, made the (quick) executive decision to put the ball in the paint himself for the 20-16 lead. Awesome. The national media might not be convinced about this Pittsburgh team after such a close call against the struggling Jags, but finding ways to win when s$%^ goes awry shows the character of a locker room. Of course, divvying up Le’Veon Bell’s swag probably wasn’t a prime example of this.”
5. New England Patriots
6. Los Angeles Chargers
7. Chicago Bears
8. Houston Texans
9. Carolina Panthers
10. Minnesota Vikings

SB Nation

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Los Angeles Rams
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. New England Patriots
6. Chicago Bears
7. Houston Texans
8. Los Angeles Chargers
9. Indianapolis Colts
10. Baltimore Ravens