Steelers fall in latest NFL Power Rankings
The NFL has officially wrapped up Week 1, and the Pittsburgh Steelers can't wait to get to Monday night vs. Cleveland following Sunday's loss. And while Tuesday is an off day and tomorrow starts game prep for the Browns, today we received the latest set of NFL Power Rankings from Sports Illustrated. Here is where […]
The NFL has officially wrapped up Week 1, and the Pittsburgh Steelers can't wait to get to Monday night vs. Cleveland following Sunday's loss.
And while Tuesday is an off day and tomorrow starts game prep for the Browns, today we received the latest set of NFL Power Rankings from Sports Illustrated.
Here is where the Steelers sit:
Steelers Slide to 18th
I mentioned this in my AFC North column last night, but I think it bears some (abbreviated) repeating: It’s impossible to judge Kenny Pickett on a buzzsaw game like that one. One of his picks was due to a fallen wideout, and another was the kind of throw you try when the game is out of hand. You’re blindfolded and just trying to strike a match. Pittsburgh’s matchup against the Browns next week on Monday Night Football should provide a far better representation of what this team is. Conor Orr – Sports Illustrated
In his final preseason rankings, Orr had the Steelers at 13th, foreshadowing a big year for Kenny Pickett and appropriately ranking the team as a playoff darkhorse.
But then week 1 happened, and Pittsburgh dropped after a Sunday that left many to blame.
But as Orr alluded to, the real Pittsburgh Steelers will stand up on Monday Night Football when the Cleveland Browns come to town in a divisional matchup on primetime.
Now that doesn't mean we can just pretend the 49ers game never happened, but week 1 can be a flukey subject, something I will be discussing later today.
So for now, the drop was warranted in my opinion, especially when you consider Pittsburgh is ranked ahead of teams like the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, all of whom won their season openers.
Monday will be pivotal not only for the Steelers' power rankings but their season, as you can't afford to go 0-2 in this division, even if Pittsburgh will be without one of their best offensive and defensive players.
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Featured image via: © Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
