The Pittsburgh Steelers dominated the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 34-12 this past Sunday. The Steelers’ defense had a massive day, scoring twice by way of a Kyle Dugger pick-six and a James Pierre fumble recovery. The defense was able to hold Joe Flacco and company in check after getting thrashed by them just a few weeks ago. Aaron Rodgers suffered a small fracture in his wrist
, but fan favorite Mason Rudolph played well in Rodgers’ absence.Did the Steelers move up in the latest power rankings?
It’s time to find out.
ESPN No. 16 (No. 16 last week)
“While Tomlin’s contract runs through 2027 and there’s no reason to believe the Steelers would move on from him before that, the external pressure has never been higher for the coach to break a decade of postseason futility. At times this season, Tomlin has coached the Steelers to convincing, improbable wins, such as over the Colts in Week 9. But those victories have been sandwiched by losses in which the Steelers’ schemes appeared outdated and the players looked old. Though Tomlin promised “historic things” in the preseason from the league’s highest-paid defense, the Steelers are far from the Super Bowl favorite. Tomlin could quell some of the fan angst by winning a playoff game.“ – Brooke Pryor
CBS Sports No. 17 (No. 17 last week)
“The Aaron Rodgers broken wrist could wreck their chances of winning the division. Then again, the Ravens are coming.” – Pete Prisco
The Sporting News No. 12 (No. 14 last week)
“The Steelers lost Aaron Rodgers vs. the Bengals but saw Mason Rudolph operate the offense better with their defense also making the needed big plays to keep their lead in the division and also split the series vs. Cincinnati.“ – Vinnie Iyer
USA Today No. 18 (No. 17 last week)
“Humongous TE Darnell Washington (6-7, allegedly 264 pounds) is most definitely one of the league’s most remarkable athletes. This offense could need him more than ever, whatever capacity that might be, if it has to navigate any period of time without injured QB Aaron Rodgers.” – Nate Davis
NFL.com No. 11 (No. 14 last week)
“The big news coming out of Sunday’s win was the wrist injury to Aaron Rodgers, which might not be a season-ender, but it’s a concern nonetheless. To his credit, Mason Rudolph was slightly more effective than Rodgers was on Sunday. The backup did his job, entering the game protecting a one-point lead and leaving it with a 22-point victory. Pittsburgh’s defense also deserves credit, delivering yet another strong performance on the whole, with Kyle Dugger’s pick-six helping vault the team to the win. We’ll see what Rodgers’ status is, but getting a win after losing three of four — and with a tough upcoming slate — was a critical development. Pittsburgh is currently the No. 4 seed, but there’s a lot of work left before we can say it’s comfortably in the postseason picture.” – Eric Edholm
It’s tough to be too upset about these rankings, given the up-and-down play of the Steelers as a whole over the course of the season. The Steelers will have an opportunity to rise up the power rankings and gain the respect of the rest of the league over the next several weeks as they face a bit of a gauntlet ahead. Over the next three weeks, the Steelers travel to Chicago to face the Bears, who seem to be ahead of schedule with Ben Johnson, followed by the Bills and the Ravens. It will be an important few weeks for the Steelers as they continue to hold a one-game lead in the division over Baltimore.
