Just because you win doesn’t mean you will be rewarded for it. This is the situation the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves after NFL Week 12. Despite beating the Cincinnati Bengals 16-10 and being a playoff team, the Steelers still aren’t getting the national recognition the fanbase might expect.
In the latest NFL power rankings by our friends over at Touchdown Wire, the Steelers are actually down one spot in this week’s rankings to No. 18. Last week the Steelers were No. 17 coming off their loss to the Cleveland Browns. Here’s what they had to say about the Steelers spot in the rankings.
Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph escaped suspension for his role in the Steelers-Browns fracas in Week 11, but he couldn’t get past his own limitations against the Bengals’ generally awful defense in Week 12. Rudolph threw four interceptions in the Steelers’ loss to Cleveland, but that was overshadowed by Myles Garrett whacking him over the head with his own helmet and Garrett’s subsequent unsubstantiated claim that Rudolph used a racial slur during the incident. Nonetheless, Rudolph completed eight of 16 passes for 85 yards and an interception against Cincinnati, and head coach Mike Tomlin had seen enough, pulling Rudolph in favor of Devlin “Duck” Hodges. As Hodges helped lead the team away from what would have been a mortifying loss to the NFL’s only winless team, it may be that Hodges becomes the starter. And as Pittsburgh next faces the Browns again, there may be more than one reason to go that route.
It is tough to get on the Steelers’ bandwagon with an anemic offense. But as long as the defense keeps playing lights out they will stay relevant on a league level.
