The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football in Week 4 by a score of 27-24. Despite erasing a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter, the Browns got the last laugh with a game-winning field goal with just seconds remaining. Pittsburgh is now 0-5 all-time in Cleveland on Thursday Night Football.
It’s time for our weekly look around the internet to see where various media outlets place the Steelers among the rest of the NFL in this week’s power rankings roundup.
FOX Sports: No.22 (No. 14 Last Week)
“Aaron
Rodgers’ last ride is certainly turning into a wild one. His deep throws wobble more than their place in these rankings and his mobility is completely shot. But as he showed in the second half of Week 4 against the Browns, he can still be stellar. The problem is, the Steelers need him to be consistent, because neither the Jaylen Warren-led running game nor the T.J. Watt-led defense are very good.” – Ralph Vacchiano
The Athletic: No.20 (Last Week No.14)
“This isn’t how things were supposed to go. Aaron Rodgers’ reunion with Mike McCarthy in the head coach’s hometown was supposed to be a feel-good success story, a nice way for Rodgers to go out and for McCarthy to return. Instead, we’re left with McCarthy apologizing after the game for the profane on-field exchange between the two that was caught by TV cameras.” – Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
CBS Sports: No.21 (Last Week No. 13)
“Losing to the Browns on the road opens up the question about whether they can compete for a division title. They have to be more consistent on offense.” – Pete Prisco
Pro Football Talk: No.14 (Last Week No. 13)
“The best-case scenario is 9-8. The worst-case scenario is they’re giving Will Howard or Drew Allar game reps after Thanksgiving.” – Mike Florio
NFL.com: No.25 (Last Week No.19)
“The Steelers’ offense fell back into a rut for most of Thursday night, and the relationship between Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy seemed to sour further — that is, until a desperate fourth quarter saw Rodgers and DK Metcalf suddenly torch Cleveland’s secondary for a game-tying score. The late outburst doesn’t paper over the earlier issues, though, and Pittsburgh’s defense failed to get after Deshaun Watson despite facing an offensive line that was missing two of its starters (and replaced one with a rookie). The jury is still out on the Steelers, who seem like a middling-at-best team right now.” – Nick Shook
Yahoo! Sports: No.21 (Last Week No.17)
“The days of this Steelers defense scaring anyone are probably over. Pittsburgh is 15th in defensive DVOA through Sunday’s games, 14th in EPA allowed per play, 23rd in success rate allowed and 13th in yards per game allowed. Pittsburgh allowed Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson to go 14-of-17 passing for 181 yards and a touchdown in the first half last Thursday night, then let him put together a game-winning drive.”
“It’s just an average defense. The Steelers had the second-oldest defense in the NFL coming into the season by average age, so it’s not like there’s an obvious turnaround coming with a young unit. The offense’s upside is limited with a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. The ceiling is not very high for this team.” – Frank Schwab
USA Today: No.19 (Last Week No.16)
“Time will tell if their hardline negotiating policies cost them too much following the departure of Porter … but sure could have used him in Cleveland.” – Nate Davis
ESPN: No.20 (Last Week No.17)
“Coach Mike McCarthy’s phrase of choice — “herky-jerky” — is an apt description for the Steelers through four weeks. Neither the offense nor defense has established an identity. Even special teams has struggled, as kicker Chris Boswell is 7-of-10 on field goal attempts. QB Aaron Rodgers and the passing attack have been inconsistent, and while the run game found a spark in Jaylen Warren, the playcalling has often put the ball in Rodgers’ hands. He has 167 dropbacks; the Steelers have run the ball just 86 times. The league’s highest-paid defense has allowed 24.7 points per game over the past three weeks” – Brooke Pryor
After an embarrassing primetime loss in front of the entire nation in which your head coach and quarterback were caught yelling profanities at each other, it’s no shock to see the Steelers take a tumble in the power rankings. The Steelers will likely be a pretty volatile team in these power rankings until they show any week-to-week consistency, which may never happen this season.
Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
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