Another season of Pittsburgh Steelers football is almost here and experts have now begun putting out their NFL power rankings for Week 1.
The Steelers open their campaign up against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday and revenge will be the theme of the afternoon, as both starting quarterbacks will be playing their old mates.
Pittsburgh looked like it might make some noise last season but the wheels came off in a big way late in the year. The Steelers still managed to make the playoffs, although they remain in a drought when it comes to a playoff win.
The Steelers are now hoping that Aaron Rodgers can provide the kind of boost to get this team over the top, but that is far from a guarantee given his age and the concerns Pittsburgh has on offense.
In our trip around the NFL power rankings of experts for Week 1, the Steelers were consistently ranked as a middle-of-the-road team, with a few exceptions.
NFL power rankings Week 1
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: 17
Iyer: "The Steelers are feeling pretty good about what Aaron Rodgers still has left to lift what should be a run-heavy, downfield passing offense. Defense alone is bound to keep the winning ways alive for Mike Tomlin."
Prisco: "How much does Aaron Rodgers have left? He showed well down the stretch last season, so if that carries over the offense could be good."
Davis: "It's worth wondering how long it will take QB Aaron Rodgers to practically get a handle on this offense after he sat out the preseason. Conversely, unnecessary penalties or not, fun to see new DB Jalen Ramsey sending the unmistakable message that Pittsburgh's defense is back."
Clay: "A T.J. Watt-led defense that added cornerback Jalen Ramsey this offseason is perhaps the league's best on paper, but the big question is how much the team will get out of 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers couldn't move the needle for a talented Jets roster last season, and this offensive supporting cast is below average. Mike Tomlin's leadership should keep this team in the wild-card mix, though."
Robert Zeglinski and Christian D'Andrea, For The Win: 24
D'Andrea: "The defense should be good-to-great once more, and betting against Mike Tomlin is a fool's errand. But so is betting on 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers coming off his worst season as a pro, so here we are."
Josh Kendall, The Athletic: 14
Kendall: "Aaron Rodgers hasn’t said anything (publicly, at least) about aliens or alternative medicines during training camp, which should be considered a positive development. Same for the injury update on Derrick Harmon, the defensive tackle the Steelers took with the 21st pick in the draft. Harmon suffered a knee injury during a preseason game and thought he was done for the season. Instead, he started the season on the 53-man roster, although it remains unclear when exactly he’ll be available."
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