Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Power Rankings: Week 5

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

A quarter of the way through the season, Pittsburgh stands at 3-1. Following a 43-14 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs, all concerns after the loss to Philadelphia have all but subsided, and the reemergence of Le’Veon Bell was everything fans could have hoped for. Will the Steelers find themselves higher than last week, or do they have more to prove?

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Oct 2, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) reacts on the sidelines against the Kansas City Chiefs during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 43-14. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

NFL.com: No. 7

Last Week: No. 7

“What a response from the Pittsburgh Steelers! And actually, in the time that it took you to read that sentence, Ben Roethlisberger just launched another 50-yard touchdown pass! When Markus Wheaton starts catching perfectly thrown balls down the field, you know things are rolling. What was supposed to be marquee matchup between two of the most exciting running backs in the league became a Sixburgh sprint relay. Steelers fans aren’t pissed.” -Elliot Harrison

No improvement for Pittsburgh according to Elliot Harrison. At first sight, that might seem like blasphemy after the performance from Pittsburgh against the Chiefs. The Chiefs are a formidable opponent, and the Steelers blew them out of the water.

Looking at the teams above them, it’s hard to argue that the Steelers are any better. The Eagles are only a week off of torching Pittsburgh. Packers are coming off a bye, so it’s hard to rank them down. The Seahawks are shaky but are still 3-1 so it doesn’t make sense to suddenly drop them. Other than that, the Vikings, Broncos, and Patriots seem like a top 3 set in stone.

The Steeler offense finally lived up to the expectation set at the beginning of the season. Maybe it had to do with Bell’s return, but everyone seemed to get involved. Heyward-Bey scored a nice touchdown, Wheaton seemed to knock off the rust, and even DeAngelo went in for a score. Still excited to see the role Eli Rogers plays when he comes back. Could be lethal.

As Harrison put very nicely, Steelers fan are not pissed.

Oct 2, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Artie Burns (25) breaks up a pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 43-14. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN: No. 3

Last Week: No. 9

“The Steelers’ offense wanted to average 30 points per game this season, and a 43-point effort in Week 4 will help erase the three-point effort from the week before. The Steelers are currently averaging 27 points per game.”

The Steelers sure have jumped around according to ESPN this season. As Cam Heyward put following the Chiefs victory, the Steelers cannot have a roller coaster season. After being crushed by the Eagles, the Steelers rallied to defeat the Chiefs in what Coach Tomlin called “Redemption Sunday.”

The offense is definitely looking great. They’ll have to keep it up to get their average up to the hoped 30 points per game. Hopefully, with a healthy offense, they can finally get that done.

While the offense was fantastic, it’s time to credit the defense. This is a defense that has been ridiculed, and rightfully so, for years, but it seems to finally be returning to form. The defensive line ravaged the Kansas City Chiefs with Keith Butler ditching the safe zone defense from the weeks before.

Tomlin has stressed turnovers, and they got two key ones that completely shifted the game early on. From there, the Steelers simply didn’t take their foot off the gas. It wasn’t until garbage time in the 4th quarter that Kansas City got into the end zone.

The Steelers have followed a philosophy of bend but don’t break since Butler came in as Defensive Coordinator, but it’s hard to argue that the defense was even bent by the Kansas City Chiefs. Got to give credit to Vince Williams, Jordan Dangerfield, and Artie Burns, who all played great amongst multiple injuries.

Interesting that the Vikings dropped in the power rankings according to ESPN, while the Seahawks remain at No. 2. Steelers above Patriots? We won’t complain.

Fox Sports: No. 3

Last Week: No. 7

“One week after being blown out by the Eagles, the Steelers returned to form in their dominant win over the Chiefs. Le’Veon Bell’s return had a lot to do with that, taking the offense from great to potentially the best in football. The Steelers are firing on all cylinders following this win.” -Cameron DaSilva

Another big boost for the Steelers. DaSilva points something out that should definitely be noted, and that’s Le’Veon Bell.

Aside from his statistics (which were impressive on their own), Le’Veon Bell completely transforms the Steelers offense when he is on the field. DeAngelo Williams is fantastic, and we love him, but Bell is a whole different beast.

Defenses have to account for Bell as a receiver just as much as a runner. He proved against the Chiefs, if he had not already, that he is a truly amazing receiver. He even lined up on the outside, and caught it in traffic.

Additionally, it is impossible to tackle him solo. He somehow has mastered the art of bouncing off defenders, and is capable of breaking off anything for a big play. Defenses have to put plenty of focus into him which opens the entire offense.

It’s impossible to just credit Bell for the success. The Steelers Offensive Line played beautifully against the Chiefs after an underwhelming performance against the Eagles. BJ Finney, an undrafted player from last year, stepped in for the injured Ramon Foster, and played beautifully. However, the highlight of the night had to be Maurkice Pouncey blocking for Bell 40 yards down the field on his impressive scamper.

The Steelers have more weapons than any team in the NFL. They have two top tier running backs. They have underrated deep threats in Darrius Heyward-Bey and Sammie Coates. They have a perfect slot receiver once Eli Rogers comes back, and once Wheaton knocks off the rust, we know what he’s capable of.

This isn’t even counting the fact that the Steelers possess the best receiver in the league in Antonio Brown, and one of the top quarterbacks in Roethlisberger. The Steelers are firing on all cylinders, and that’s a scary thought.

Oct 2, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward (97) sacks Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) during the second half at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 43-14. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Yahoo Sports: No. 6

Last Week: No. 8

“Le’Veon Bell came off suspension and rushed for 144 yards on 18 carries. This offense is scary when it’s clicking. That’s not a bad Chiefs defense the Steelers torched on Sunday night” -Frank Schwab

Schwab didn’t say anything than anyone else didn’t say. It definitely is hard to guage the Steelers right now. Which team are they? The one that played this week, or the last.

What we know, and Schwab reiterated, when the offense is clicking, it’s scary, and it’s unstoppable. Every phase of the team controlled the game against Kansas City. The Chiefs are not a bad team, but the Steelers sure made them look like one.

Through four weeks of the season, it might have been unexpected that our only loss would have come to Philadelphia, but Steelers fans shouldn’t complain too much. This is a team that has proven capable of beating the top tier teams across the league. They might drop a couple, but seem to pull it together when it matters.

For the last few years, it’s been said many times. The Steelers might not often be considered the best team, but there is not a single team that wants to face them in the playoffs. They are a dangerous bunch, and whenever Roethlisberger is at the helm, they’re capable of anything.