Steelers Power Rankings: Week 15

The Steelers have prolonged their winning streak once again, riding the back of Le’Veon Bell to another big win over Buffalo. With the Steelers red hot, have they risen through the Power Rankings?

NFL.com: No. 6

Last Week: No. 9

“Start thinking about all the productive running backs the Steelers have boasted since their inaugural season in 1933, and Le’Veon Bell‘s franchise-record 236 rushing yards on Sunday becomes even more impressive. John Henry Johnson, Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Barry Foster, Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall all posted 1,000-yard seasons in black and gold. Former Steelers running back — and Supreme Court Justice — Byron “Whizzer” White never did it, despite leading the league in rushing. Ditto “Bullet” Bill Dudley. Thirty-eight carries for theSteelers back on Sunday. Now that’s what I call a Bell cow. (Nailed it!) Eat your heart out, Zeke.” – Elliot Harrison

I have a feeling this is going to be a good week for Pittsburgh in the power rankings (Note: I don’t read the power rankings until I write this article, so this is always a first look reaction to them. I think it adds a little more flavor).

Anyway, first off, I just want to note real quick that Harrison definitely wins the award for best tangents and best puns. Just beautiful. But to reflect on his claims, it’s all about Le’Veon Bell, and I have a feeling that’s going to be a trend this week.

Le’Veon Bell should be considered for MVP, as Nate Burleson would agree with me. He won’t get it, but he should be considered. In every game that he has had 20 or more carries in, the Steelers have won. He’s been a work horse, who never seems to tire, and has carried us to a 4-game winning streak.

Since the Steelers shifted to a run-heavy offense, the Steelers have been almost unbeatable. This was a tough game in tough weather, and Le’Veon Bell marched the Steelers to a vital win. He leads the league in scrimmage yards and is 4th in the league in rushing yards, and he missed the first three games of the season! If that’s not MVP-worthy, I don’t know what is.

Dec 11, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) calls an audible during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. The Steelers beat the Bills 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN: No. 8

Last Week: No. 5

“Since his return from suspension, Le’Veon Bell has accounted for about 58 percent of the Steelers’ touches (rushes and receptions) and 43 percent of the Steelers’ yards from scrimmage. Bell looks to rack up more offense this week against the Bengals, the team that ended his 2015 campaign.”

ESPN has this really bad trend that they’ve followed all season. When the Steelers are on the rise and win a game, they seem to jump all over it and fling the Steelers to the top, but when they start to really take form like they have, they drop them down, realizing they had them too high?

Why did the Steelers drop three spots after their fourth consecutive win and an extremely good performance on both sides of the ball? Don’t ask me, and they didn’t give much reasoning unless relying on the best running back in the league is a bad thing.

Big game against Cincinnati this week. Last road game of the year, and you know the Bengals are just waiting to hit Bell. They’ve been the team that has injured him twice in the last two seasons and ended his season a year ago. In what will be his first game against them since his return, let’s hope they won’t do the same.

He’s carrying our offense right now, and let’s hope he’s seeking revenge in Cincinnati. Wouldn’t mind seeing Bell truck Vontaze Burfict like he did to James Ihedigbo last week.

Fox Sports: No. 6

Last Week: No. 9

“This is the team no one wants to play right now. Le’Veon Bell is the most dominant player in the league thanks to a recent month-long stretch in which he racked up 823 yards from scrimmage. And in Sunday’s beatdown (298 yards), Bell had 176 yards before contact against the Bills. That’s astonishing.” -Cameron DaSilva

This is the team no one wants to play, and that’s thanks to Le’Veon Bell.

How do you stop him when he’s so dominant? The thing is, it’s not just him. The Steelers offensive line doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Allowing a player with the patience of Le’Veon Bell to stutter and go isn’t an easy task.

The holes they’ve created for him speak volume with his recent performances. BJ Finney is a name that was tossed around a bit by the commentators and has been a really huge contribution as a backup. There were multiple plays on Sunday where you could see the lead block that allowed a massive gain and see #67 as the creator of the hole.

The entire offensive line has been one of the best in the league and has been one of the most instrumental pieces of this offense. Patience is a word that would describe this offense. Maybe not in the playcalling with deep bombs coming quite often, but the players.

Roethlisberger is known for extending plays and Le’Veon Bell is the master of stopping, locating holes, and bursting. It’s all the work of Mike Munchak and this fantastic offensive line. Give them credit.

Yahoo Sports: No. 7

Last Week: No. 9

“I’d worry a little bit if Le’Veon Bell can maintain this type of workload. But the Steelers haven’t given themselves a ton of margin for error either. They need to keep winning, but can they make the playoffs and do so with Bell having enough left for a playoff push too?” – Frank Schwab

Schwab does bring up a reasonable point. How long can Le’Veon Bell maintain the workload that he’s been getting the last few weeks?

One thing that I, and I’m sure many other people have noticed about Bell, is that he seems to have more energy than most people. He’s often said that he doesn’t really get tired, and he doesn’t really realize how many carries he has until he sees the stat line at the end of the game.

Besides stamina, one has to also wonder with his injury history if running him like this is a wise choice. In the end, do the Steelers have a choice at all? This seems to be what is working for them, and if they try something else, they might sink out of the playoff race.

With three games to go until the Playoffs, the Steelers control their own destiny, and whether or not Le’Veon Bell can continue his dominance will be a major decider.

Dec 11, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) runs after a catch as Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) pursues during the second half at New Era Field. The Steelers beat the Bills 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Author’s Opinion: No. 5

Last Week: No. 7

My Top 4 this week include the Patriots, Cowboys, Raiders, and Chiefs. At the 5th rank are the Pittsburgh Steelers. I really think this team has proven over the last four weeks that they deserve to be atop these power rankings with the best of them.

They might be the hottest team in the league and one of the most threatening. With the defense emerging (ranked 1st since Week 11 and 1st in Redzone Defense) and continuing with their impressive bend but don’t break philosophy, the team brings in the dimension they’ve lacked through the last few years.

A lot of credit has to go to the three rookies (Hargrave, Burns, and Davis) for their quick contributions and what they have brought to this team. With the defense stepping up, and the offense efficiently putting points on the board, to dismiss this team as a pretender is no longer an option. The Pittsburgh Steelers are a Super Bowl contender and can compete with the best teams in the league.

But before I go on about that, let’s make the playoffs first.