NFL Power Rankings, Week 14: Despite the loss, Steelers don’t fall far in rankings

The Pittsburgh Steelers, along with the rest of the NFL, are coming off the 13th week of a journey which has never been done in the history of the game. Playing games amidst a global pandemic.

The league has done tremendous work with protocols and adjustments to make sure this season goes off without a hitch, but even the best laid plans can have their bumps in the road. The Steelers experienced that first hand with an unexpected bye week after the Titans’ outbreak forced their Week 4 game to be moved.

Who do the experts think will be the team to beat this season? Power Rankings are one way to decipher who they like, or don’t like, at any particular juncture of the season. Heading into Week 14, there is a lot which can be expected. The Chiefs find themselves at the top of most rankings, while the Green Bay Packers or the New Orleans Saints are everyone’s favorite now in the NFC.

Where do the Steelers fall? Well that depends. After their first loss to the Washington Football Team have them dropping in the rankings. Take a look at some of the Power Rankings below, and be sure to let us know what you think of the rankings in the comment section below!

ESPN

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Pittsburgh Steelers

“Person with most at stake: Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner

There’s something of a power struggle between Fichtner and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. When the plays go well and the offense runs smoothly, Fichtner downplays Roethlisberger’s ability to effectively run a no-huddle offense and draw plays up in the dirt. But when there was a breakdown in the red zone against Baltimore, Fichtner said that Roethlisberger was running a no-huddle offense and calling the plays. Fichtner and Roethlisberger have worked together for a long time and need to get on the same page down the stretch for the Steelers to make a deep playoff run.”

3. New Orleans Saints
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Buffalo Bills
6. Seattle Seahawks
7. Los Angeles Rams
8. Cleveland Browns
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10. Tennessee Titans

CBS Sports

1 Kansas City Chiefs
2. Pittsburgh Steelers

“The perfect season is done. But they haven’t played well the past two weeks. They need to learn how to run the ball.”

3. New Orleans Saints
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Buffalo Bills
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Seattle Seahawks
8. Indianapolis Colts
9. Los Angeles Rams
10. Miami Dolphins

Sports Illustrated

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Pittsburgh Steelers

“If you lose to the Washington Football Team you officially get demoted in the power rankings. We’ve seen Pittsburgh limping for a few weeks now and for obvious stretches during their incredible undefeated start to the season. Now, it’s time to fix the cracks before the stretch run.”

3. Buffalo Bills
4. Green Bay Packers
5. New Orleans Saints
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Los Angeles Rams
8. Seattle Seahawks
9. Indianapolis Colts
10. Tennessee Titans

NFL.com

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Pittsburgh Steelers

“The Steelers weren’t impressive when they grinded out a win over the Lamar-less Ravens last Wednesday, but you were tempted to give them a pass, considering the circumstances that surrounded that thrice-delayed affair. But on Monday night? There were no excuses after the Steelers blew a 14-point lead in a 23-17 loss to Washington, a setback that ended the dream of a perfect season in Pittsburgh. The Steelers came undone on both sides of the ball in the second half, looking like a team that felt the pressure that comes with taking an undefeated record into December. Perhaps the loss will free Pittsburgh of the kind of tightness that was on display in this odd stretch of this weird season. A Week 14 matchup against the surging Bills will bring more disappointment — and probably some panic — if the Steelers don’t clean up their act.”

4. Green Bay Packers
5. Buffalo Bills
6. Los Angeles Rams
7. Seattle Seahawks
8. Cleveland Browns
9. Baltimore Ravens
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Sporting News

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Pittsburgh Steelers

“The Steelers failed to win their second game in six days when they lost to Washington, coming off beating the Ravens at home in Week 12. Mike Tomlin has a done good job reminding them they are really not perfect and it showed the past two weeks.”

3. New Orleans Saints
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Buffalo Bills
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Los Angeles Rams
8. Seattle Seahawks
9. Tennessee Titans
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers