NFL power rankings, Week 14: Steelers rise, Falcons fall

Pittsburgh Steelers. 8. team. 55. Pittsburgh made it three straight victories while putting an end to the Giants’ six-game winning streak. The resurgent Steelers defense limited New York to 234 yards of total offense and quarterback Eli Manning to just 195 yards through the air. They also sacked the veteran signal-caller twice and picked off two of his throws. Meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger had another productive outing. He completed six passes each to running back Le’Veon Bell (who ran for 118 yards), wide receiver Antonio Brown and tight end Ladarius Green. The latter totaled 110 yards on his half-dozen receptions, while Brown hauled in Big Ben’s other scoring pass. <p>Next Week: The Steelers make the short trip to Orchard Park, New York, to take on the 6-6 Buffalo Bills, who squandered a big lead at Oakland in Week 13. As for this series, Pittsburgh has prevailed in the last five meetings between the clubs, but these franchises haven’t squared off since 2013. Tomlin’s club owns a 3-3 road record this season.</p> <p>Playoff hopes: The Steelers and rival Baltimore Ravens both own 7-5 records but the latter owns the temporary tie-breaker because of their 21-14 win in November. It’s hard to believe that the AFC North will produce a pair of playoff teams this year. If Mike Tomlin team wins out, they will be division champions. But there’s an awfully long way to go.</p>. 7-5. Previous: