It's probably too early to say the Steelers are at a crossroads at 2-2, but head coach Mike McCarthy doesn't lack for urgency. September is officially behind them and October isn't just about fall foliage or crisp air.
It's also about playing crisper football as the grind that is the NFL calendar churns forward. And McCarthy aims for his team to do that, coming off a 27-24 defeat last week at Cleveland, improving in every way it possibly can.
"Most importantly, it's the Steeler way. And this is it," McCarthy said Monday at his weekly news conference. "We've had the new practice schedule, we've gone through all the gymnastics of why we do things, and so forth. The coaches and players need to trust that it works for you."
The Steelers have no choice other than to sit with a bitter taste in their mouth from their most recent outing, but they've already shown their ability to rebound from a loss. After a miserable road trip at New England, they came back home and knocked off the Bengals, 30-27.
Now the same task is ahead of them Sunday against the Colts at 1 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium. Tuesday, McCarthy and his staff will roll out the results of their self-scouting when they meet with the players. That's customary after four games, but the Steelers had the added benefit of a few extra days, having played Thursday night.
"You're hard-pressed to find a team or two that feels really good about where they are right now," McCarthy said. "That's the norm."
To his point, there are only three unbeaten teams remaining, and 21 teams have at least two losses. Parity reigns in this league, for the most part, and the 2026 campaign has been no different.
That's why when the schedule is first released, McCarthy barely even bothers to look past Week 4. By then, the complexion of your opponents can be totally changed from what you expected going into the year. Injuries set in, teams adjust their personnel and coaches try to break their own tendencies. Starting with yourself is paramount.
"We need to clean our own house," McCarthy said. "Our house is not clean right now."
Rather than devote an extra day to Indianapolis, McCarthy will get out the brooms and try to use Tuesday to sweep away what didn't look good against the Browns. That goes for all phases, too.
Offensively, he's still rankled by a lack of success on third downs. The Steelers converted 4 of 13 at Huntington Bank Field, including 1 for 6 in the second half.
"We're not making the easier ones on third down," McCarthy said. "Third down is our number one focus on offense. Man-to-man [coverage] is part of that, don't get me wrong. But our third downs need to be better. That's where we're not getting it done."
Defensively, the basics have McCarthy's concern. He plans to work on the fundamentals, from footwork to pursuit, and that applies to coverage on special teams, too.
That will be reflected in the emphasis on this week's drill work once they get out of the meeting rooms and back on the field. Specifically, the tackling is "not acceptable" to the head coach at its current level.
"Everybody knows that. I think the players have been very accountable in the conversation with the coaches," McCarthy said. "And, most importantly, we need to be accountable because we've got to make sure the demanding and the teaching and the emphasis, time permitting, it needs to be better. We've been inconsistent."
For McCarthy, the factors that go into the improvement are clear. His track record of ironing out those deficiencies over the course of a season is clear.
As attrition inevitably takes its toll on the roster, new faces will cycle through to contribute, but the expectations don't change. From McCarthy on down, they'll need to be at their best physically and mentally to their stride over this next four-game stretch before the bye week. That run includes another true road game, a trip to Paris and an AFC North rematch.
"The detail needs to be better, so just trusting this process," McCarthy said. "I'm a huge believer in preparation. When it doesn't look right, I prepare more. That's the way I'm wired. That's the way I've always done it. That's what I'll continue to do, and we'll be a better football team because of it."
