With their injuries and uninspired play so far in 2011, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in trouble. The defending AFC champions stand at just 2-2 and are coming off a 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans, and though the team's problems have been clear for a while, the Steelers haven't shown much improvement. Pete Prisco's latest power rankings at CBSSports.com reflect that reality: he moved them down to No. 11. "If Ben Roesthlisberger [sic] is out for a period of time, the Steelers are in big trouble," he says. "Their lines are really struggling."
The Steelers don't expect Roethlisberger's injury to keep him out of Sunday's game against Tennessee, but whether he can stay healthy for the full season remains a question. That's bad news, obviously, given the quality of his backups. As noted elsewhere on SB Nation Pittsburgh, neither Charlie Batch nor Dennis Dixon is a particularly inspiring option.
For more on the Steelers, please visit Behind the Steel Curtain.