NFL Power Rankings: Steelers continue to climb after Week 15 win

The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to win their 5th game in a row Sunday with a 24-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Their march towards an AFC North championship, and a playoff berth, will all come down to their Week 16 game against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day.

Before looking ahead to the upcoming week, it is worth noting the Steelers are slowly creeping up the NFL Power Rankings. With a record of 9-5, and that aforementioned 5-game winning streak, the Steelers rightfully are getting more respect from major media outlets; however, there are some head-scratching placements of certain teams.

Power Rankings are great for debate, and that is about it. These aren’t crowning anyone as Super Bowl Champions, but merely showing the trends of the teams with only two weeks left in the regular season. Should the Steelers be higher? Lower? Take a look at the selected Power Rankings below, and let the debate begin.

NFL.com

1. New England Patriots
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Oakland Raiders
4. Seattle Seahawks
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
“Impressive outing in Cincinnati for the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger threw the ball relatively well, especially considering his recent struggles on the road. Pittsburgh's defense made Andy Daltonlook pedestrian most of the day in a sub-mediocre performance. And Mike Mitchell got thrown under the bus before hitting the road. Baltimore prevailing over the Eagles makes the Christmas Day bout against the rival Ravens a must-win in the AFC North race. With a loss, the Steelers would need the reeling Bengals to pull off an upset of the Ravens in Week 17.”
6. Kansas City Chiefs
7. New York Giants
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Detroit Lions
10. Green Bay Packers

ESPN

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. New England Patriots
3. Seattle Seahawks
4. Oakland Raiders
5. Atlanta Falcons
6. Kansas City Chiefs
7. Pittsburgh Steelers
“That's five straight wins for the Steelers, who can clinch the AFC North with another victory Sunday against the Ravens. The big names on offense get the headlines, but give credit to the defense: The Steelers have 19 sacks and seven interceptions in their past five games.”
8. New York Giants
9. Green Bay Packers
10. Baltimore Ravens

SB Nation

1. New England Patriots
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Atlanta Falcons
4. Oakland Raiders
5. Kansas City Chiefs
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
7. New York Giants
8. Seattle Seahawks
9. Baltimore Ravens
10. Detroit Lions

FOX Sports

1. New England Patriots
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Atlanta Falcons
4. Oakland Raiders
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
“The Steelers looked like they were poised for yet another disappointing outing, trailing the Bengals for much of the game. The offense finally got on track – albeit after Jeremy Hill disrespected the Terrible Towel – helping the Steelers avoid a crushing upset.”
6. Kansas City Chiefs
7. Seattle Seahawks
8. New York Giants
9. Green Bay Packers
10. Miami Dolphins