NFL power rankings roundup: Where do the Steelers stand heading into Week 8?
Mike Tomlin proved the NFL world wrong when he strutted quarterback Russell Wilson onto the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday Night Football showdown with the New York Jets. There's no question now whether Russ can still cook, as Wilson got hot after a shaky start to the game.
The Steelers take on the other New York team, the Giants, in their third primetime game in four weeks. Acrisure Stadium will play host on Monday Night Football versus the struggling G-Men before Pittsburgh has a much-needed Week 9 bye.
As we enter Week 8, here's a peek at where the Steelers place in a multitude of power rankings:
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 14 (+2)
NFL Nation, ESPN: 11 (+4)
There's plenty of options on a team as young as the Steelers, but it's hard to choose anyone other than the 24-year-old rookie undrafted free agent after his two interceptions against quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Bishop had a bounce-back performance after getting picked apart by quarterback Dak Prescott two weeks earlier, and he did it in a big way, nearly returning his second career interception for a touchdown. The Steelers entered the season with no obvious heir to the slot corner spot, and it appeared the Steelers would have to get by with Cameron Sutton suspended the first eight games. Bishop, though, is showing why he earned first-team reps early in training camp.
Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Network: 13 (+1)
Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Network:
The decision to transition from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson in Week 7 paid off nicely for the Pittsburgh Steelers, as Wilson posted one of the best QB+ grades. Despite the success in terms of results, the Steelers have been a below-average offense this season, and Wilson may be able to provide that spark. If he can, this Pittsburgh team becomes a legitimate AFC playoff threat that could cause a January upset.
The Steelers have a top-10 defense this season and the best special-teams unit so far. One concern is that they have played the ninth-easiest schedule to this point and have the eighth-hardest schedule going forward. Pittsburgh will need that offense to be better than below-average if they are to navigate a tough stretch of games.
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: 5 (+2)
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News:
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 9 (+2)
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk:
Eric Edholm, NFL.com: 9 (+1)
Leave it to Mike Tomlin to make a move few could fully embrace at the time ... only to have it look brilliant retrospectively. Russell Wilson certainly heard it early, when he was 2-for-8 passing for 19 yards, and the Steelers were scuttling on offense. Fans sounded angry. But there was never a whiff of a Justin Fields cameo, whether as a change of pace or any other type of appearance. The Steelers are moving forward with Wilson, and what he did in a dominant showing over the final three quarters Sunday night was his closing argument after the shaky start. It didn’t hurt that Pittsburgh also received two interceptions from rookie Beanie Bishop Jr. and a strong special teams game, but the Steelers looked explosive and dangerous for the first time all season. If Wilson plays this well most weeks, they’ll win a lot of games.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: NFL power rankings roundup: Where do the Steelers stand heading into Week 8?
