NFL Power Rankings, Week 1: Titans ink Clowney, Chiefs remain clear favorites

If everything goes right for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2020 season, having them at No. 17 in these NFL Power Rankings going into Week 1 might look like one of the dumbest things that any person has ever written. That’s a risk I’m willing to take, however.

Ben Roethlisberger played only two games last season before missing the rest of the year and the results were disastrous for the Steelers offense. Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodgers were abysmal as the replacement options under center. Yet, Pittsburgh finished the season at 8-8 as the defense, spearheaded by the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, hit a new gear as one of the best units in the league.

Now that the veteran quarterback is coming back, many expect the whole ship to be righted. James Conner, if healthy, won’t be facing stacked boxes and JuJu Smith-Schuster can return to stardom with competent throws coming his way.

While that may be true and, again, has the potential to make me look quite stupid, I’m still worried about this team as a whole. For starters, Roethlisberger is flirting with 40 years old and isn’t exactly the picture of health. Are we sure he stays healthy for 16 games? I’m not and the backup situation remains a real issue.

Additionally, it’s hard for me to think the Pittsburgh defense plays at as high of a level as they did last year. So if that happens, can this team be a true contender? My guess is no. And these concerns lead me to not jump the gun on putting the Steelers higher than this in these power rankings.