NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Rams bounce back with win over Bears

19. Pittsburgh Steelers (14)

Prior to Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers were viewed as a team on the rise in the AFC thanks to winning four games in a row.

And while there’s no reason to rule them out of the AFC playoff race just yet, Mason Rudolph’s four-interception performance in the loss to the Browns should be concerning for the Steelers.

Pittsburgh certainly knew the difficulty of playing on a shorter week, but watching Rudolph struggle the way he did on offense makes it seem like the Steelers quarterback may not have what it takes to lead the team on a late playoff run.

Clearly, Rudolph was frustrated throughout the entire contest, and the argument can be made that without all of the turnovers, Pittsburgh most likely would have ended up winning this game in Cleveland.

At least in less than two weeks, the Steelers will get another chance to prove themselves against the Browns, although they still have to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals before then, which should be no problem at all.

If Rudolph can’t find a way to shine against a winless team, just imagine what the concerns will be like in Pittsburgh over their quarterback situation since a matchup like the Bengals is basically a gift.