It might not seem like it to the rest of the NFL but the Pittsburgh Steelers got a signature win over the Cleveland Browns last week. After what had happened between these two teams just two weeks before, seeing the Steelers claw their way back from being down 10-0 early but came back to get a crucial AFC North victory.
This big win was rewarded by a six-point jump in the latest NFL power rankings by our friends over at Touchdown Wire. Here’s what they had to say about the Steelers big win over the Browns and the turnaround on defense and how they got to No. 12.
The big story of Pittsburgh’s 20-13 win over the Browns wasn’t the revenge factor following the brawl that happened when these teams met on Nov. 14. Nor was it the efforts of Devlin “Duck” Hodges, the 12th-string quarterback who completed 14 of 21 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and had some impressive deep passes. The story of this game, and of the Steelers’ season, is a defense that looks able to match any Mike Tomlin has guided since he became Pittsburgh’s head coach in 2007. Per ESPN’s Dianna Russini, several players spoke about Tomlin’s brilliant halftime adjustments that shut the Browns down. And since Week 3, when they made the trade for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick that redefined Pittsburgh’s secondary, the Steelers rank first in the NFL in takeaways (28), first in quarterback hits (78), first in passes defended (65), first in forced fumbles (17), first in fumble recoveries (13), second in interceptions (15), second in sacks (38), and tied for third in defensive touchdowns (3).
The Steelers have two big games left on the schedule out of four. The margin for error with Pittsburgh is zero. If the Steelers want to continue their miracle run, those games against the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens will be huge.
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