The Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-1 entering Week 4. On the surface, you might think this team is in good shape. They get a contest against backup quarterback Carson Wentz in Dublin, Ireland, this week, and will have upcoming games against Joe Flacco and Jake Browning.
But even an easy quarterback schedule can't help the Steelers fix their biggest problems.
The Steelers are coming off a gritty 21-14 win over the New England Patriots, and Mike Tomlin has defensive takeaways to thank for his team's second win of the season. Pittsburgh was outgained by New England in every other major statistical category and still found a way to win the game.
While these types of victories might come in the regular season, there's an ugly statistic that shows the Steelers have no shot of competing in the playoffs if things don't turn around fast.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a bad team on paper entering Week 4
There are numerous advanced statistics that can tell us that the Pittsburgh Steelers have not performed well early in the season, but let's bring this back to the basics: total offense and total defense.
Through three games, the Steelers rank 30th in offensive yards per game and 26th in yards per play. On the flip side of the ball, the defense ranks 28th in yards allowed per game and 27th in yards per play.
These numbers are even uglier than the ranking. Pittsburgh's offense is managing just 247 yards per game while giving up a whopping 386 per contest. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers and company have mustered up a mere 4.6 yards per play as their opponents have effortlessly managed 5.9 yards per play.
READ MORE: Steelers' once-promising offense already looks like a disaster
The context exacerbates the situation. The Steelers have a 21-year veteran and future Hall of Famer at the quarterback position. Though Rodgers is on a new team at the tail end of his career, we were optimistic that there was one more season left in the tank.
The defense has been the most disappointing part of the team. Despite playing against quarterbacks Justin Fields, Sam Darnold, and Drake Maye, Pittsburgh's defense has allowed 8.0 yards per attempt and a 99.9 passer rating while giving up 1,158 yards through the air. This is accompanied by allowing three straight 100-yard rushing performances for a total of 418 rushing yards allowed.
The offense and defense are both playing poorly, and the biggest problem is that it's not just a few guys here and there—it's everyone. There seems to be no fix in sight, but it's safe to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers don't have the look of a playoff contender when you consider these pitiful statistics.