Pittsburgh Steelers have to figure out woes in a hurry

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a mess. In the standings, on the field, in front of microphones, you name it. Unlike years past when Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher were running the show — and to be accurate, for a large chunk of Mike Tomlin’s successful tenure — the Steelers are crumbling from the inside out.

Currently, there’s no easy answer. A week after tying the haphazard Cleveland Browns in a monsoon on the banks of Lake Erie, the Steelers came home and laid an egg at Heinz Field in front of the black and gold faithful. While the offense put up close to 500 yards and 37 points, it was the defense which allowed an absurd 42 points including six Patrick Mahomes touchdowns in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ultimately, it all adds up to an 0-1-1 record with contests against the undefeated Tampa Bay Buccaneers and AFC North-rival Baltimore Ravens up next.

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If there’s a positive, Pittsburgh can’t play a whole heck of a lot worse. The Steelers turned the ball over six times in Week 1, this coming after they spent much of the days prior calling out running back Le’Veon Bell for staying away during a contract dispute. This week, the chatter was kept to a minimum but the team again showed cracks in the proverbial armor, falling behind 21-0 in the first quarter to a team that hadn’t beaten them in Pittsburgh since 1986.

At some point, the Pittsburgh Steelers have to find a way to turn the tide with a complete effort. Ben Roethlisberger can’t do it all himself, especially with Bell missing from the lineup. The defense has to be a capable unit, if not one that’s going to rank in the top 10 of many categories.

For now, the next game represents another significant challenge for Big Ben and Co. The Buccaneers were expected to hold down the cellar of the NFC South, only to beat the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles on their way to a 2-0 start. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been hot, throwing for eight touchdowns and more than 800 yards in his first two starts this season.

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In other words, it won’t get any easier for Pittsburgh and its battered defense.

While it’s only two games — and hell, one of the affairs ended in a tie, not a loss — the Steelers face a turning point in their fortunes. A win on Monday night in Tampa, and suddenly things could turn with the division-leading Cincinnati Bengals having to take on the Carolina Panthers on the road.

However, another loss and the Pittsburgh Steelers will spend weeks upon weeks (if not months) trying to crawl out of the hole it dug itself early on.