The Pittsburgh Steelers still rank among the league's better teams, according to most NFL power rankings released Tuesday. Following the Steelers' 38-17 drubbing of the Tennessee Titans, CBSSports' Pete Prisco moved them up one slot in his rankings, to No. 10 overall. He saw the win as a reflection of the team's resiliency. "They do a great job bouncing back after tough losses," he says. "If they fix that offensive line, they will be in the mix come December."
Pittsburgh was reeling after a 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans the week prior, one in which they lost linebacker James Harrison, a former Defensive Player of the Year, for at least four weeks due to an eye injury, and one which saw quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sprain his left foot. But they recovered against Tennessee, ending the Titans' three-game win streak in emphatic fashion.
And, as Prisco mentions, the Steelers have a history of recovering after a loss. The Baltimore Ravens, who lead Pittsburgh in the AFC North standings, opened the season with a 35-7 win over the Steelers; the next week, the Steelers responded by blanking the Seattle Seahawks, 24-0. In the future, one hopes, the Steelers won't need to have lost a game in order to dominate in subsequent ones.