Power Rankings: Death knell has sounded for defending champs

Updated Nov. 7

The Pittsburgh Steelers have something in common with Saddam Hussein -- they both got death sentences Sunday; Hussein by hanging, the Steelers by Super Bowl hangover.

After losing to the Denver Broncos, the Steelers are now 2-6 and would need to rip off seven consecutive victories just to have a chance to make the playoffs. That's not happening.

Ben Roethlisberger has been making too many mistakes for the Steelers. (AP)

The season is over, and their freefall down the CBS SportsLine.com Power Rankings is likely the greatest drop since we've been doing them; they are No. 22 after starting the season in the top spot.

The Terrible Towels have new meaning: The Steelers are simply terrible.

Watching the Steelers lose to the Broncos was as bad as it can get for a Super Bowl champ. They turned the ball over six times, at home, in a game they had to have. The special teams are a mess, and there didn't appear to be any urgency.

After the game, running back Willie Parker questioned the hunger of the team, insinuating they got fat and happy.

That is not what we've come to expect from a Bill Cowher-coached team. And now halfway through the season, the questions about his future will intensify. The talk he was looking at retiring started last spring when Cowher and his family purchased a $2.5 million home in Raleigh, N.C., and his family moved there.

Cowher didn't shoot down the talk, which set off speculation that this could be his last season. Wonder now if he wished he had walked away after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy? Maybe in his mind he did.

Steelers insiders say the retirement talk is serious, which might have had a negative impact, although there are plenty of other reasons for the struggles.

• Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident, appendectomy and concussion all have impacted his play. He has had some good games, but he has made too many ill-advised throws.
• The offensive line, which played strong in the playoff run, has not played well, which is surprising since right tackle Max Stark is in his second season as a starter now and guard Kendall Simmons is another year removed from knee surgery. Against Denver, left tackle Marvel Smith struggled badly.
• The pass rush is limited, which has made the secondary look downright average. Joey Porter has battled injuries and been mostly a non-factor and safety Troy Polamalu isn't having the same kind of season he had in 2005.
• The special teams have been abysmal. On Sunday, rookie Santonio Holmes fumbled a punt and a kickoff, losing the kickoff, and he was replaced for both duties. Jeff Reed also missed a 40-yard field goal.
• They have turned the ball over 24 times and have 11 takeaways. Their minus-11 is the worst in the NFL.

Add it all up, and it's understandable how this team is 2-6. Even through the struggles, you always seemed to have an idea that maybe they would turn it on like they did in 2005. This, aside from a player or two, is essentially the same team. Instead, they've lost three consecutive games and, barring a miracle, will be spending the postseason at home.

"I can't explain it," Steelers receiver Hines Ward said. "It's not like we became sorry overnight."

Last January, the Steelers beat the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game on their way to winning the Super Bowl. But as the players strolled from the field to the locker room Sunday, that seemed like years ago. The dancing they did that day was replaced by sullen, what-the-heck-happened looks.

Death by Super Bowl hangover can be a cruel, cruel way to go.

The Power Rankings after Week 9: