The Pittsburgh Steelers Lose Two Straight: Are They In Trouble?

After opening the season with three straight wins, the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost two straight and are now 3-2.

On Sunday Night Football in week 5, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost a nail-biter against the Dallas Cowboys.

It was an ugly game that was delayed for 90 minutes due to lightning.

The Pittsburgh Steelers struggled on both sides of the ball.

On offense, they could not get the ground attack going against a poor Cowboys rush defense that was missing key pieces.

Defensively, while they created three turnovers, it was a poor effort as Dallas was able to move the ball at ease. This was an issue in week 4 as well for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are now tied in the division with the 3-2 Baltimore Ravens. Luckily for the Steelers, both the Browns and Bengals are 1-4 in the division.

After two straight losses, we take a look at if the Pittsburgh Steelers are in trouble or if they can right the ship.

Are The Pittsburgh Steelers In Trouble?

The Pittsburgh Steelers were riding high after three weeks of the season. They were 3-0 and looked like they could be a legit threat in the AFC. The defense was outstanding and the offense was getting better in each game.

However, they lost in week 4 27-24 against the Indianapolis Colts and their defense struggled in that contest but the offense looked good.

In week 5, they lost once again and are now 3-2. The difference though is both sides of the ball struggled in week 5. The offense could not get anything going and their defense was getting carved up, despite creating three turnovers.

Najee Harris has struggled in the two losses. In week 1-3, Harris had over 65 rushing yards in each game. However, in the last two games, Harris had 19 rushing yards on 13 carries in week 4 and 42 rushing yards on 14 carries in week 5. The Pittsburgh Steelers have not been able to run the football the last two weeks, which is their identity on offense.

The defense has not been able to put a lot of pressure on QBs the last two weeks. They recorded two sacks in each of their last two games. The Steelers win by putting pressure on opposing QBs and by running the ball. They have not been able to do that in weeks 4 and 5.

The defensive struggles are a bit concerning as teams are moving the ball at ease. The lack of a ground attack with Fields and Najee is concerning as well. The two things the Steelers pride themselves on are struggling right now.

While it may be too early to say the Pittsburgh Steelers are in trouble after losing two straight, the troubling trends are concerning for their season outlook.

Can The Steelers Make The Playoffs?

As of week 5, the Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-2, tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the division lead, and currently hold a wild-card spot.

However, the last two games for the Pittsburgh Steelers have been the complete opposite of their first three weeks of the season.

If the trends of not getting pressure on opposing QBs, getting carved up defensively, and struggling to get any sort of run game going continue, this could send the Steelers down a bad path.

They have a very challenging schedule in the second half of the season. The Steelers do not have a high-powered offense by any means but they have struggled to run the ball. The offensive line has not played well.

Luckily for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals and Browns are each 1-4, and the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins are each 2-3. The Bengals were among Super Bowl contenders but they have struggled to begin the year. Cleveland looks like a disaster on offense. The Jets have struggled on offense and do not look as good as expected. Miami is 2-3 but could be without Tua for a long time this season.

While the last two weeks have not been pretty for the Pittsburgh Steelers, if they can tighten up defensively and get any sort of run game going, they can still make the playoffs.