The Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up with first month of the season at 2-2 and now have to look at this next four-game stretch as vital to keep pace in the AFC North. This week the Steelers are set to square off against the 2-2 Indianapolis Colts, who are chasing the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Sourth.
After a crazy week for the franchise, here are the big storylines for the Steelers this week.
Trying to stop Jonathan Taylor
Taylor is on the short list of the best running backs in the NFL and is the focus of the Colts' offense. Taylor is No. 7 in the NFL in rushing yards going into the game with 353 yards and is No. 2 in the league with six rushing touchdowns. Tackling has been a serious issue for the Steelers defense this season. The Steelers have 31 missed tackles on the season,
among the worst in the league but had 17 just last week against the Cleveland Browns.
Getting the defense on the same page
Last week, the Steelers defense fell flat and you cannot convince us that it wasn't in part because of the hangover of the Joey Porter Jr. trade. Now this week, we have players opening up, questioning the coaching staff and, thanks to injuries to Derrick Harmon and Jamel Dean will have to plug in two more new starters and put even more pressure on the aging veterans and rookies on this side of the football.
Immense pressure on Mike McCarthy and the offense
Hiring Mike McCarthy as the new head coach was supposed to get the offense on track. It's been quite the opposite. With wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. out for several weeks, rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard must now step up. But more than the players, this falls on the front office and McCarthy who collectively created an offensive roster without any playmakers to test opposing defenses.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers vs Colts: Big storylines in this week's game
