The Pittsburgh Steelers are now 2-4 after Week 7 of the 2019 regular season, but how they got to this record has been a roller coaster ride. After a 33-3 drubbing by the defending champion New England Patriots, the Steelers followed it up with a close 28-26 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 at Heinz Field. The loss was more than just another loss on the record, but the team lost Ben Roethlisberger in the process. With Mason Rudolph under center in Week 3, he was unable to lead the Steelers to victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, but did claim his first career win after beating the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football in Week 4.

How did they follow up that prime time win? With a gut-wrenching overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field in Week 5. In typical fashion, with their backs against the wall the Steelers gutted out a big win on Sunday Night Football over the Los Angeles Chargers before heading into their Week 7 bye week.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, it is that time of week where we check in on what other outlets are saying about the black-and-gold in those weekly Power Ranking articles. We all realize these rankings are completely meaningless, but they are great for discussion. Not just where the Steelers are ranked, but who made the Top 5 who should have, or shouldn’t have?

Check out the Power Rankings below, and be sure to let us know your thoughts on the rankings in the comment section below!

ESPN

1. New England Patriots
2. New Orleans Saints
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Kansas City Chiefs
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Seattle Seahawks
8. Minnesota Vikings
9. Buffalo Bills
10. Houston Texans
...
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
“Recalibrated expectation: Rebound to grab a wild card

The Steelers haven’t lived up to expectations through the first quarter of the season. With the Week 2 season-ending injury to Ben Roethlisberger, some factors contributing to their record have been out of the team’s control. Averaging 2.5 takeaways per game, the Steelers’ defense is turning into a dominant force, but the No. 28-ranked offense is still a work in progress. The Steelers trail the Ravens in the AFC North by 2½ games, but there’s still a realistic path to the playoffs if the offense stabilizes. The three-game swing from Week 11 to Week 13 against division opponents will be the defining stretch of the season. -- Brooke Pryor”

CBS Sports

1. New England Patriots
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. New Orleans Saints
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Buffalo Bills
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Minnesota Vikings
8. Seattle Seahawks
9. Carolina Panthers
10. Indianapolis Colts
...
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
“Mason Rudolph should be back for the Steelers against Miami. They come off their bye with a winnable game and I expect big things from him in this game.”

NFL.com

1. New England Patriots
2. New Orleans Saints
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Minnesota Vikings
6. Seattle Seahawks
7. Dallas Cowboys
8. Kansas City Chiefs
9. Houston Texans
10. Baltimore Ravens
...
19. Pittsburgh Steelers
“The Steelers’ pulse grew stronger after an impressive Week 6 road win over the Chargers, but the victory came at a big cost. Defensive end Stephon Tuitt exited the game with a torn pectoral muscle, an injury that ends his season and will require surgery. Tuitt was tied for second on the team in sacks with 3.5 and was a major headache for the opposition on a weekly basis. It’s been one of those years for the Steelers, who lost Ben Roethlisberger to a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2. The team’s depth is being tested on both sides of the ball, but the silver lining for this star-crossed squad is an AFC North division that remains up for grabs. The Ravens have been hot and cold, the Browns have been one of the NFL’s biggest busts and the Bengals are the dregs of the NFL. Could 9-7 win the division? Could Pittsburgh get there?”

USA Today

1. New England Patriots
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Green Bay Packers
4. San Francisco 49ers
5. Minnesota Vikings
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Indianapolis Colts
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Houston Texans
10. Kansas City Chiefs
...
19. Pittsburgh Steelers
“Coming out of bye, still time for them to get back into muddled AFC race with next three games at Heinz Field and Mason Rudolph on mend.”