The Pittsburgh Steelers are now 8-6 after Week 15 of the 2019 regular season, but how they got to this record has been a roller coaster ride. After an 0-3 start, the team was finally able to beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football in Week 4 to move their record to 1-3.

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.

Coming off the bye the Steelers continued their winning ways with a 27-14 win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football, and before you knew it they had won three in a row while beating the Indianapolis Colts 26-24 in Week 9. That three game streak turned into a four game streak after they beat the Los Angeles Rams at home 17-12 in Week 10. The good feeling Pittsburgh was experiencing was short-lived when the Cleveland Browns smacked them around 21-7 on Thursday Night Football in Week 11.

In Week 12 the team turned it around, albeit behind Devlin Hodges, as the team traveled to Paul Brown Stadium and beat the Bengals 16-10 to get above that .500 mark once again. With ‘Duck’ at the helm, they got revenge against the Browns in a 20-13 win over the Browns at Heinz Field. The Duck Dynasty continued in Week 14 when the Steelers traveled to Arizona to beat the Cardinals 23-17.

Those three wins were erased quickly when the Buffalo Bills came to Heinz Field in Week 15 and beat the Steelers 17-10, followed up by another loss to the Jets where the offense scored only 10 points on the day.

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. Baltimore Ravens
2. New Orleans Saints
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. New England Patriots
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Seattle Seahawks
8. Minnesota Vikings
9. Buffalo Bills
10. Houston Texans
...
15. Pittsburgh Steelers
“The defense is the obvious strength of this team, and Watt has been its consistent anchor. With 14 sacks, seven forced fumbles and two interceptions, Watt is a strong Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Without his forced turnovers, the Steelers wouldn’t have been in a number of games, and he kept them competitive even when the offense couldn’t hold up its end. Watt is also a leader. The tabletop soccer game in the Steelers’ locker room was brought in by Watt to boost camaraderie -- one example of the ways he has helped maintain the culture that makes the Steelers unique. -- Brooke Pryor”

NFL.com

1. Baltimore Ravens
2. New Orleans Saints
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. New England Patriots
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Seattle Seahawks
8. Houston Texans
9. Minnesota Vikings
10. Buffalo Bills
...
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
“The Steelers are paying for the sins of their past. For years, the team has failed to identify and develop a secondary option behind Ben Roethlisberger at the game’s most important position. It’s come back to haunt them in 2019, a season that has featured one of the best defenses in recent team history but also sub-standard QB play that’s consistently held Mike Tomlin’s team back. On Sunday, Devlin “Duck” Hodges threw two first-half interceptions and was benched, leading to a return engagement from Mason Rudolph, benched himself last month due to his own ineffective play. And since this has developed into a Murphy’s Law type of situation under center in Pittsburgh, Rudolph exited Sunday’s game with a season-ending shoulder injury, leading to another dose of Duck. All of this helps explain a 16-10 Steelers loss in the Meadowlands that puts a serious dent in the team’s playoff hopes.”

Washington Post

1. Baltimore Ravens
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. New England Patriots
5. San Francisco 49ers
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Seattle Seahawks
8. Houston Texans
9. Minnesota Vikings
10. Buffalo Bills
...
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
“Coach Mike Tomlin has done a superb job holding things together and keeping the Steelers in the playoff chase under trying circumstances. The Steelers mostly have overachieved. Look who is playing QB and look who is on the field on offense around the QB. But that was a really bad loss to the Jets.”

Sports Illustrated

1. Baltimore Ravens
2. New Orleans Saints
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Kansas City Chiefs
6. New England Patriots
7. Seattle Seahawks
8. Minnesota Vikings
9. Houston Texans
10. Buffalo Bills
...
14. Pittsburgh Steelers