NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Steelers continue slow, but steady, drop in the rankings

The Pittsburgh Steelers were losers in Week 11 of the 2021 regular season. After the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football, the team has continued to stall in the latest NFL Power Rankings.

These Power Rankings are something which should be taken with a grain of salt, but if nothing else they are good for some healthy debate.

Yes, Power Rankings can be an interesting exercise, and while we don’t put too much stock into these rankings it does give you a taste of how the experts at certain sites view the Steelers. Who do they have topping the rankings this week? The Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers? The Buffalo Bills? How about the Green Bay Packers?

Time to take a look at the latest Power Rankings:

ESPN

1. Arizona Cardinals
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Los Angeles Rams
5. Dallas Cowboys
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. Kansas City Chiefs
8. Baltimore Ravens
9. New England Patriots
10. Indianapolis Colts
...
17. Pittsburgh Steelers

“Most memorable Thanksgiving game: Referee Phil Luckett flubs Jerome Bettis’ coin toss call in overtime loss to Lions on Nov. 26, 1998

Thanksgiving Day games haven’t been kind to the Steelers. The franchise is 1-7 on Thanksgiving Day, including the 2013 matchup against the Ravens in which Mike Tomlin stepped on the field and interfered with Jacoby Jones’ would-be kickoff-return touchdown. That one cost Tomlin a $100,000 fine. But perhaps even most costly was the coin flip fiasco with Bettis and Luckett in the Steelers-Lions overtime period in 1998. As the captain of the away team, Bettis said he called tails. Luckett heard heads. The coin landed on tails. In replays, it sounds like Bettis quickly said head-tails, and Luckett went with the first call he heard. Despite Bettis’ protests, the Lions got the ball, kicked a field goal and won the game.”

NFL.com

1 Arizona Cardinals
2 Green Bay Packers
3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4 Kansas City Chiefs
5 Dallas Cowboys
6 New England Patriots
7 Buffalo Bills
8 Tennessee Titans
9 Los Angeles Rams
10. Minnesota Vikings
...
19. Pittsburgh Steelers

“An undermanned Steelers team showed serious fight on Sunday night. Down 27-10 in the fourth quarter of a quasi-home game in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh staged a furious rally to take the lead before faltering in the final minutes of a 41-37 loss to the Chargers. The game slipped away on a busted coverage that allowed Mike Williams to score the go-ahead 53-yard touchdown with 2:09 to play. NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth correctly asserted that Williams never gets that opportunity if star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (COVID-19) is on the field. The Steelers desperately need to get healthy on defense if they hope to sneak back into the playoffs. Make-or-break divisional matchups against the Bengals and Ravens await.”

CBS Sports

1. Arizona Cardinals
2. Los Angeles Rams
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Tennessee Titans
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. New England Patriots
8. Kansas City Chiefs
9. Los Angeles Chargers
10. Indianapolis Colts
...
14. Pittsburgh Steelers

“The injuries on defense crippled them against the Chargers. The good news is the offense showed some life in the passing game.”

The Sporting News

1. Arizona Cardinals
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Los Angeles Rams
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Kansas City Chiefs
8. Dallas Cowboys
9. New England Patriots
10. Los Angeles Chargers
...
15. Pittsburgh Steelers

“The Steelers went into Los Angeles with a short-handed defense and a passing offense that couldn’t quite keep up. They must finish strong against the rest of the AFC North to return to the playoffs after winning the division last season.”

What do you think of these rankings? Think the Steelers are too high? Not high enough? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, and be sure to check out one of our newest podcasts where we do some rankings of our own! Check out the “Steelers Power Half Hour” in the player below: