The Steelers are one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL during the early portion of the season, but there are teams in a worse spot.
The NFL is nearly at its halfway point as teams begin to head to their bye weeks either this week or sometime soon. Those weeks are usually the time for clubs to try and regain focus for the remainder of the season and push for the playoffs.
You either sink or swim in this league and most of those that made this list look like they will fall off or continue to have issues. For one reason or another, neither of these clubs have been able to put everything together to this point in the year.
Steelers are disappointing even though many did not think of them highly
You could make an argument that many did not expect the Steelers to do a lot this year, and that is a fair point. The fact that they have not been able to show progress with their lack of play defensively or show many improvements on offense is the real killer here.
The Steelers have a lot of issues right now, which will probably lead to their first losing season under Mike Tomlin. They might not be the biggest disappointments on the list, but they are setting themselves up for failure.
Broncos might be in big trouble for a long time if Wilson cannot be fixed
Broncos country is riding with Russel Wilson straight off a cliff after many thought he would make them instant Super Bowl contenders. There are a lot of things going wrong for Denver this year and Wilson is only one of the bigger issues at hand. Their Head Coach also looks completely out of place in his current position. This club is a complete lost cause that could be in trouble for the foreseeable future with Wilson there.
Raiders are a part of one of the biggest letdown divisions thus far
Las Vegas was the saving grace for the Steelers last season as they kicked the black and gold into the postseason. The Raiders have completely fallen off and things look bleak for this club as they currently sit at a 1-4 record in one of the tougher divisions in football.
The AFC West was thought of as having the potential to shove all four members of the group into the playoffs before the season began. That looks like a lost cause with both the Broncos and Raiders looking like complete shams.
Buccaneers might have a team problem that extends to Brady
Everyone knows the issues that Tom Brady is having off the field with his personal life. His play on the field seems to be falling off as he continues to struggle to make an offense move up and down the field regularly. Something is wrong with the Buccaneers, and it might not be a fixable concern. Luckily for them, they play in the weakest division in football, but that comfort will only get them killed in the first round of the playoffs.
LA Rams look to be hungover from last year’s Super Bowl
LA might be a mirror of Tampa Bay right now as both clubs seem to be struggling in a terrible NFC. Things could always change but the Rams offense has not been special to this point in the season. Mathew Stafford looks like he might be deteriorating with his physical attributes, and that might spell disaster for the Rams Super Bowl aspirations. Both they and the Buccaneers are facing the same conundrum currently that could be fixed.
Bengals do not seem like they can live up to the hype right now
The young guns of Cincinnati were able to ride their momentum last season the whole way to the Super Bowl. They have gotten off to a slow start to begin their 2022 season after many saw them at the same level as the Bills and Chiefs.
That does not seem to be the case as their team has sputtered to begin the year, which could affect them later in their schedule. This club might be the best positioned to rebound from their slow start, but they could be slumping after the Super Bowl that they attended last year.
The Steelers have had a tough start to their 2022 schedule, but things could always be worse. The parody in the NFL is razor thin at the moment and there are many disappointments around the league.