Power Rankings: Team Tiers Edition

Splitting all 32 NFL teams into tiers through 11 weeks of the regular season.

Looks like we’re finding out what the Pittsburgh Steelers really are in 2022. Good enough to beat other mediocre and bad teams and make things interesting against more skilled opponents, but with enough issues to sabotage themselves when it counts. Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals truly was the litmus test for this squad, and the loss reflects their position in the NFL Landscape in 2022.

For the Week 12 edition of my NFL Power Rankings, my goal is to group teams into tiers based on their outlook and potential for the remainder of the year. By this point of the season, it’s reasonable to say, “We know what they are,” for most of the league’s squads. I came up with five distinct categories to rank the 32 teams. Let’s dive in!

TIER 1: Super Bowl or Bust

1. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (9-1)

2. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8-2)

3. BUFFALO BILLS (7-3)

4. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-4)

5. DALLAS COWBOYS (7-3)

These 5 teams have set themselves apart in recent weeks as the NFL’s heavyweights. My preseason Super Bowl contestants (Philadelphia, Buffalo) boast the league’s most complete rosters from top to bottom, but have struggled with some inconsistency in recent weeks from their signal callers. That has not been the case for Kansas City, who’s roster may not be quite equal to the Eagles and Bills, but their All-World QB has played near flawless football for 10 weeks. As long as Patrick Mahomes is upright, the Chiefs feel invincible. The ‘9ers and ‘Boys have championship caliber D’s and explosive offenses to complement. For these 5 teams, anything less than a Super Bowl appearance is a let-down.

TIER 2: Playoff Caliber

6. MIAMI DOLPHINS (7-3)

7. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-2)

8. BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-3)

9. TENNESSEE TITANS (7-3)

10. CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-4)

11. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-4)

These are the units we know are good, but how good? You could argue the Dolphins belong a tier higher, but the inconsistencies on defense concern me compared to the truly elite rosters above them. The Vikings topped the Bills in a moving comeback effort, but then were absolutely decimated by the Cowboys IN THEIR OWN BUILDING! The Ravens offense has recently been stagnant, but the defense is coming alive. These Titans can’t keep winning with their overall lack of talent at the skill positions, right? The Bengals could climb into the next tier with more offensive performance like Sunday’s at Pittsburgh. Not saying they’ll win a playoff game, but the Seahawks definitely deserve to be in them with the way the’ve come to play every week this season.

TIER 3: Are They Good?

12. NEW YORK GIANTS (7-3)

13. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-5)

14. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (5-5)

15. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (6-4)

16. NEW YORK JETS (6-4)

17. ATLANTA FALCONS (5-6)

18. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (6-5)

Look at this group and you’ll see some decent records, but every one of these squads has some serious issues to address if they want to move up a tier. Outside of a revitalized Saquon Barkley, the Giants are starting to look like a team that has severely overachieved to start the year. The Buccaneers lead the ugly NFC South, but they haven’t looked the part of a division champion for most of the year. If the Chargers played the Chiefs every week, they’d be the best 5-12 team EVER! I want to put them higher, but they still can’t figure out how to close out games. The Patriots and Jets are mirror images of each other with terrible offenses but elite defenses. How far can that really take you, though? What is it about these Falcons and Commanders that they just keep hanging around despite bad QB play at times and not-so-stellar defenses? They face off on Sunday in a weirdly spicy matchup. Several teams from this group will make the dance, but it’s hard to believe they’re up for anything more than that.

TIER 4: Berserker Squads

19. GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-7)

20. DETROIT LIONS (4-6)

21. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (4-6-1)

22. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (3-7)

23. CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-7)

24. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (3-7)

25. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (3-7)

26. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-7)

These are the frisky teams you don’t want to face the last 7 weeks of the season if you are contender vying for playoff seeding, but these team’s just aren’t good enough in 2022 to make a serious run at relevance. The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, so you never count them out. Dan Campbell has this Lions team believing they’re more, but can they prove it? The Colts and Steelers have bad offenses but boast defensive units that can keep them in any game. That’s a fun matchup for Monday Night Football! The Browns get their big offseason investment back this week, and can lean on Nick Chubb most weeks to keep things interesting. For Jacksonville, maybe it’s time to see that defensive line that everyone was excited about early on this season start to make some plays. The Raiders are 2022’s biggest mystery, but an offense with Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs cannot be overlooked. The Saints could easily be a tier lower, but when Andy Dalton plays a clean game, they can hang with a lot of teams on offense.

TIER 5: The Walking Dead

27. ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-7)

28. LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-7)

29. DENVER BRONCOS (3-7)

30. CHICAGO BEARS (3-8)

31. CAROLINA PANTHERS (3-8)

32. HOUSTON TEXANS (1-8-1)

These last 6 teams are ready for 2022 to be over so they can blow things up and reset for 2023. The Cardinals are as discombobulated and fractured as any team I’ve seen, despite having talent on their roster. For Rams and Broncos fans, Super Bowl was on the mind to start the year. They are the most disappointing teams in the league this year. Chicago has seen tremendous growth from it’s young stud QB (Justin Fields). There’s a lot to build on for the offense, but that defense is in line for a total overhaul this offseason. The Panthers and Texans might well be vying for the draft rights to 2023 NFL Draft’s best QB prospect, and have no visible direction as organizations. As they say, “Stick a fork” in these half-dozen units.

So what do we think, Steelers Nation? Did I misplaced anybody in my tier system? Can the Steelers be more than just a tough out the rest of the season? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to answer the poll question! As always, go Steelers!