Something I've Been Thinking, Too.

In this week's ESPN NFL Power Rankings, the Steelers have dropped into the lower-half of the league, to #18 (a dispiritingly low ranking, to be sure, but the highest among teams with losing records). Beside the ranking, ESPN offers this commentary: "Maybe the Steelers miss Jerome Bettis more than they thought they would. The Bus not only got the tough yards, but he was the heart and soul of the team." Bettis was, indeed, the emotional glue that held last year's Steelers together. His calm focus, his passion, was an example to the rest. And no one--not Big Ben, not Hines Ward, not Joey Porter--has been able to take that role. Ben will probably be the one to do it, but he's obviously pretty freaked out right now. In the past, Ben may have benefited most from Bettis' presence in the locker room: Bettis was obviously Ben's mentor (see their tearful embrace after the Super Bowl). Ben may feel a little lost without him.