Team by team capsules: Pittsburgh Steelers

Da Bomb

One week left, and we are moving to the AFC. I'm going to go through team by team, about a division a day, and take a look at the season for each team, week by week. All I'm doing here is compiling my power ranking for the team each week all together in one spot, then doing a short analysis at the end. Should be interesting to see which teams have been consistent and which have been big risers or droppers.

Week 1 - #1
I doubted them this offseason, but after an impressive win, the defending champs stay here until they lose.
Week 2 - #12
The game last night may have been a needed wakeup call. They didn't play all that well in the opener against a Miami team that got dominated by Buffalo this week, and the team was overconfident after last season. Roethlisberger probably had his worst regular season performance last night. How will this team respond against Cinci this week?
Week 3 - #17
The Steelers are in a big hole, down two games in the division to a pair of teams, but they have been here before. Even in two awful games, they had a chance to win down the stretch, and I'm not counting them out yet. If Big Ben can't get healthy soon, that may change in a hurry.
Week 4 - #18
Sure, the 1-2 record is reason to worry, but the bye week came at the perfect time. Big Ben should be healthy and have some timing back, and the team should be ready for San Diego. Don't forget, they started slow out of the gates last year too.
Week 5 - #20
It's officially danger time. It's not just the three consecutive losses and Big Ben being banged up. Ward and Polamalu aren't right either, the team misses Bettis, and they have lost their swagger and identity. And the Chiefs and Falcons wait on deck for a chance to bury the champs.
Week 6 - #17
Well that's one way to silence your critics. Win big 45-7 over a solid team and have both your division rivals lose. It's hard to imagine a worse start to the season, but the Steelers are only really a game out now, so they can't ask for much more than that. Time to keep the momentum building.
Week 7 - #21
I don't get everyone talking about how Sunday showed that the Steelers are still the AFC North favorite. Sunday proved to me alright, but it proved that this just isn't the Steelers' year. Big Ben can't stay healthy, and they can't get the wins they have to have. Need more proof? Look at the team above and below in the power rankings this week.
Week 8 - #31
Hello, fork? Meet the Steelers. It's over. They'd probably have to win every game the rest of the season to make the playoffs. Considering they can't even beat the Raiders, I don't like their chances.
Week 9 - #32
It hurts to watch, really. The Steelers pile up yards, play decent defense, and it just doesn't matter. This team turned it over four times *inside the ten yard line* against Denver. Yikes. Steelers were #1 at the beginning of the season. It's only fair after this brutal start to see the symmetry of #32 just a half a season later. Who knew things could go so wrong so quickly?
Week 10 - #22
You had to think they'd finally finish off one of those wins at some point. But even in that win, the way they kept letting the road Saints hang in there, there's just something missing from last year's team still.
Week 11 - #19
The Steelers played like garbage again for most of the game, just like they have most of the season, but this time they made enough plays at the end to sneak out a win. Even after all they've been through, they're still just two games out, but they simply aren't playing well enough to make a run.
Week 12 - #26
My guess is that not too many defending Super Bowl champs get shut out twice the next season. The fact is that this team lost their "defending Super Bowl champ" title weeks ago, and the dominating shutout loss at Baltimore put an end to any false hopes at a run.
Week 13 - #24
That's a pretty dominant win, one they should've been getting all season. This team is irrelevant now. They're still good enough to ruin a few people's playoff hopes, but theirs are shot.
Week 14 - #22
No, they're not making another playoff run. They can beat bad teams real nice, then they'll choke when everyone thinks they finally have a shot. Maybe next year... except I don't think Cowher will be back.
Week 15 - #15
Beat Carolina? Check. But the Steelers will still need to win against Baltimore and in Cincy just to get to 6-6 in the AFC along with the following other things in order to make the playoffs: The Jags lose at least once. The Jets lose at least once. The Bills lose at least once. Whoever loses the Cincy/Denver week 16 game loses in week 17 as well. And even then, the Steelers end up tied with a few teams with tiebreakers too complicated to figure out just yet. So yeah they're playing well, no I wouldn't want to play them right now, but no it probably doesn't matter.
Week 16 - #26
Stupid Steelers. Just when you think they finally have a shot, they go and put up a stink bomb at home against a hated rival. All that's left now is their one "playoff" game this week in Cincy. They ended Palmer's season there last season. Can they do it again?

Analysis
There's not much to say here that hasn't been said already. The defending champs were downright terrible for much of the season. The talent is obviously still there. They had some big wins and a lot of tough losses. But the mojo and luck factor must have been all used up last season. My gut says Cowher comes back for one more next year and watches that mojo come back over to his side.

Mike

Too many things went wrong with this team, and it started before the season started. I think this entire team will be glad to see this season end, just to get it over with.

I think Cowher is back as well for another season, maybe more. This team will be back on top, or very close to it next season.

Miller

Still think they rush ben back too quickly. He was simply not ready the first 1/2 of the year, kid was lost.

This team will bounce back next year though, too much talent there.

Mike

I think this was the year for bringing quarterbacks too quickly.