This is what rock bottom looks like for a Pittsburgh Steelers fan

When the Pittsburgh Steelers struggled on offense in 2020, fans thought things couldn't get any worse. This team was led by an aging Ben Roethlisberger and fans were screaming for the firing of offensive coordinator, Randy Fichtner. We didn't realize how good we had it.

Back then, despite all of their struggles and a passing game that couldn't connect down the field, Fichtner's offense somehow still managed to muster up 26.6 points per game. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh had a bonafide defense that ranked among the top units in the league. Things have plummeted since then, and what's worse is that there is no sign of relief in sight.

The Steelers are fresh off back-to-back losses against teams that had just 2 wins on the season prior to facing Pittsburgh. In both contests, Mike Tomlin's team got down by multiple scores and wasn't able to overcome the likes of an unmentionably bad Cardinals roster in Week 13 or the likes of QB Bailey Zappe in Week 14. If this isn't what hitting rock bottom looks like, then I don't know what it is.

Entering Week 15 of the 2023 season, the Steelers are mustering up just 16.2 points per game (27th in the NFL) while earning just 292.5 yards per contest (also 27th), per Team Rankings. But their concerns stretch far beyond measurable statistics.

The Steelers are simply a bad football team this year

Plain and simple, this is a bad football team. They don't have a quarterback, their coaching has been bad in nearly every department, and they have a tremendous talent deficiency at numerous spots on their roster.

Admittedly, we have been spoiled in the past. For most of the 2000s, this was a team that was routinely in Super Bowl contention. They inspire hope every year. Now Pittsburgh has gone downhill every season since 2017 before eventually becoming the bottom-dwelling teams that the Steelers used to be beat up on.

In back-to-back weeks, Mike Tomlin has suffered losses to two-win football teams. This marked the first time in NFL history that a team has suffered back-to-back losses against two-win teams beyond Week 10 for the first time in the Super Bowl era.

Even after losing 3 of their last 4 games, the Steelers somehow sit on a 7-6 record. In fact, Pittsburgh would still be the 6th seed in the AFC playoffs if the season ended today. But has any fanbase ever been less excited about a team with a winning record?

This record certainly is not an accurate depiction of how good the Pittsburgh Steelers are in 2023. The collection of their statistics and their inability to score on offense suggests that they are closer to a four-win team right now (and the tape backs up this claim).

Unfortunately, this puts fans in a tough spot. Do they root for for Steelers to scratch and claw their way to victory down the stretch to secure a Wild Card spot in the NFL playoffs? With their abysmal quarterback play and talent deficiencies, it's highly unlikely they make a push in the postseason. Maybe the better option is for them to lose down the stretch so it inspires the Rooney's to make real changes during the offseason.

Hope hangs on by a thread, and with just four games remaining, I doubt we will see the encouraging signs from this team that we have all been waiting for. The Pittsburgh Steelers play host to the Indianapolis Colts this week, and Mike Tomlin's team needs to show signs of life before the entire fanbase elects to check out for the rest of the year.