In arbitrary, irrelevant news of the day, the Pittsburgh Steelers surprised many by being ranked first in the post-Week One ESPN power rankings.
Here’s what the Worldwide Leader had to say.
“Rookie linebacker T.J. Watt became the third player to record two sacks and an interception in his NFL debut since sacks became official in 1982.
Possible overreaction: Watt is the defensive playmaker the Steelers have been craving for years and could make the defense more impactful than Pittsburgh’s offense.”
On Watt, it certainly was a promising start. Not only because of the box score but knowing he was able to beat left tackle Joe Thomas several times, still one of the best in the game.
The Steelers began the year in 4th place, jumping the New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons, and Seattle Seahawks. The Pats and Seahawks lost on Week One while the Falcons squeaked out a win over the Chicago Bears. Still, it’s a surprise to see the Steelers top the charts after their far-from-perfect win over the Cleveland Browns. For today anyway, they don’t feel like the best team in the league.
Elsewhere in the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens are the next highest team, coming in 14th place after their dominating win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals fell from 22nd to 25th place while the Browns remained steady at 30th. The Browns certainly looked more competent than the Bengals and have a puncher’s chance at finishing the year in third place.
Rounding out the top five included the Packers, Chiefs, Pats, and Cowboys.
Minnesota moved up from 17th to 12th after an impressive victory over the New Orleans Saints. Sam Bradford had one of the best games of his career and the Vikings now have life in their run game. Dalvin Cook set a team rushing record for a rookie in his debut. The Steelers will certainly have to play better this weekend than they did last but if they do, they’ll firmly remain in the top spot of the power rankings.
