Power Rankings: How do our Steelers stack up against the rest of the NFL?
Spoiler Alert: comme ci comme ca.
Legit Super Bowl Expectations:
Kansas City Chiefs- They’re on a dynastic run. They are the favorites to win it all again, and they should be. With Mahomes, Kelcie, and Reid, anything is possible; including a three peat.
Houston Texans- Just what the Steelers needed…another elite AFC team. They’re real.
Detroit Lions- They’re essentially running it back, and there’s nothing wrong with that! And, how could you not like Dan Campbell?
San Francisco 49ers- It seems like the Niners are always in the news for contract drama with their players. Between Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk both holding out, it could be an awkward locker room to start off the year, but they’ll be alright. It’ll take me a bit to get over this Brandon Aiyuk thing, too. Fuck him.
Very Good Teams With Holes:
5. Baltimore Ravens- They have a very real problem with their offensive line that I feel like doesn’t get talked about enough. With that being said, even with the loss of Patrick Queen, their defense is still going to be one of the best in football.
6. Cincinnati Bengals- If Joe Burrow can stay upright and healthy, the sky's the limit.
7. Green Bay Packers- When Jordan Love is ON…it’s pretty awesome. I just don’t know who I’m getting on any given day.
8. Miami Dolphins- They have, maybe, the best offense in the league. Then, they don’t. Then, they do. Then, they don’t.
Teams With the More Glaring Issues:
9. Philadelphia Eagles- The national media is sold. The city of Philadelphia is sold. I’m not sold. They have new coordinators, and they lost their Hall of Fame center to retirement. They ended last season on a downward spiral, and I don’t feel like it is ending quite yet.
10. Buffalo Bills- Josh Allen is awesome, and Bills mafia is fun to interact with! I respect and admire you guys. But, I think this group’s real chance at a Super Bowl is gone. Still, they have Josh Allen, so who knows?
11. Dallas Cowboys- The number of jobs on the line in Dallas this season is astronomical. They have a good roster, but there’s a ton of pressure on so many players and coaches. I think this team will look very different in 2025.
12. New York Jets- How healthy is Aaron Rodgers? If he’s good, they’re Super Bowl contenders. If not, they’re a team worthy of a top 5 pick in the draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers:
13. Pittsburgh Steelers- Every year, when the regular season is about to begin, I can convince myself that there is a real path for the Steelers to win the Super Bowl that year. This year is no different, because there is definitely a path. Crazier things have happened in sports, for sure. As optimistic as I am about the potential of this 2024 group, I’m not naive enough to crown them as Super Bowl champs right now. There’s the old adage: “If you have two quarterbacks, you have none.” Mike Tomlin has already expressed interest in letting Justin Fields in on some plays to use his legs. And, after the great offseason that Justin Fields had, Russell Wilson has to feel Fields breathing down his neck. As Russ tries to juggle that with learning a new offense, and a banged up offensive line, there’s a damn good chance that we don’t come out the gates firing on all cylinders on offense. That’s unfortunate for Russ, because Steelers fans aren’t exactly a patient bunch. A lot of yinz are going to be calling for Justin Fields before Russ even gets his feet wet. If they do come out flat, they have a truly elite defense to keep them in games while the offense figures it out; and they BETTER figure it out fairly soon, because our schedule gets MEAN in November and December.
The Rest of the Comme Ci Comme Ca
14. Los Angeles Rams- That is a truly scary offense in LA. Find me somebody that’s feeling good about that defense, though, and have them convince me…if they can, I’ll buy them a jersey of their choosing.
15. Cleveland Browns- They can add all the WRs they want. I don’t trust Watson to play well, if he plays at all, and Nick Chubb is coming off of a blown knee. You’re the worst in the AFC North again, Cleveland. All is right in the world.
16. Chicago Bears- I live in Illinois. There’s a lot of optimism. And, there’s nothing wrong with that. They’re comme ci comme ca. Thanks for Justin Fields!
17. Los Angeles Chargers- I trust Jim Harbaugh to right this ship. But, for now, this dumpster fire ranks in the middle of the pack.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars- Who are they? I don’t know. Must be miserable to like this team. They’re pretty much only good when they play the Steelers.
19. Indianapolis Colts- Their two best players are coming off injury-riddled years. A.R. is fun, though. They should be excited.
20. Atlanta Falcons- So much new in Atlanta. They might be the one team that saw almost as much roster and staff turnover this offseason as the Steelers. I like Raheem Morris a lot, so I’m hoping they see some success. Of course, I’m hoping they come out absolutely FLAT in week one against the Steelers. Their roster is nice, though.
21. Minnesota Vikings- I like Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores. I don’t like their roster.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- It’s hard not to root for Baker Mayfield, man. Same with Todd Bowles. They were hot towards the end of last season. Let’s see if there’s any carry-over.
23. Seattle Seahawks- 7-10, 9-8, and 9-8, respectively. I’m sure there’s optimism in Seattle, but until I see something more, this is just where they are to me. Good luck to a guy I’m not a very big fan of (for good reason…he was DAMN good as the Ravens defensive coordinator), Mike Macdonald.
24. Las Vegas Raiders- They’re only ranked this high, because I like the culture they’re building. I just don’t think they’re going to be good this year.
Trash
25. New Orleans Saints
26. Washington Commander
27. Tennessee Titans
28. New York Giants
29. New England Patriots
30. Arizona Cardinals
31. Carolina Panthers
32. Denver Broncos
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