Pittsburgh Steelers Fall Off In Week 14 NFL Power Rankings

The Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) travel down the Ohio River on Sunday to take on the leaders of the AFC North Division, the Cincinnati Bengals (8-3-1). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcasted on CBS.

As we head into Week 14 of the National Football League season, here is the Tale of the Tape for the Black and Gold:

At Home: 4-2 On The Road: 3-3

AFC North Record: 2-2

AFC Record: 6-3 Non-Conference: 1-2

Against Teams With .500 Or Worse Records: 4-3

Points Scored: 320 Points Allowed: 298

There is a perception in the battle with teams that own .500 records or worse that the Steelers have not been able to hold their own. The facts are Pittsburgh defeated the Carolina Panthers (3-8-1), the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10), the Houston Texans (6-6), and the Tennessee Titans (2-10). They came out on the losing end against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-10), the New York Jets (2-10), and the New Orleans Saints (5-7).

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Starting with this Sunday, there are four games left, with Pittsburgh at Cincinnati and at the Atlanta Falcons next week. Mike Tomlin’s crew finishes out the season at Heinz Field against the Kansas City Chiefs and against the Bengals in the season finale. Can this team close out strong and possibly claim first place in the AFC North?

Let’s grab another cup of coffee and see where the experts around the internet place the Black and Gold in the pecking order of the NFL.

CBSSports – Pete Prisco is wondering what is up with the defense as he moves the team from 12 last week to 15 this week.

ESPN – The World Wide Leader has the team in the No. 16 slot which is down two places from No. 14 last week. They do not like the team’s efforts against the NFC South this season, but then again who does?

FOX Sports – Dan Schneier has the Black and Gold at 22 this week after being at 17 last week. He is not impressed the Pittsburgh’s secondary.

FanSided – Josh Sanchez has Pittsburgh at No. 18 this week as he dropped them four from 14 from last week. He still feels the Steelers control their own destiny.

NFL.com – Elliot Harrison places the team at 16 this week while having them in the 12 slot last week. He really likes what Le’Veon Bell brings to the table on offense.

Sports Illustrated – Chris Burke downgraded the Steelers from 15 last week to 20 this week. He was not impressed with the team’s performance against the Saints.

USA Today – The guys at USA Today continue the trend of dropping Pittsburgh in their rankings as they have them at 16 this week, down three notches from 13 the week before.

Yahoo Sports – Frank Schwab makes the downturn complete by having the team at 19 this week when they were at 17 last week. He feels they have nobody to blame but themselves for not being atop the AFC North.

Do you agree with the experts? Is Pittsburgh ranked too high or too low in your opinion? Perhaps the Steelers ranking is about right? Let me know in the comments section below.