The Steelers had shown signs of getting things back together during their recent two-game win streak.
But any momentum they might have built was lost Sunday, in a ridiculous 21-18 loss at Oakland.
The amazing part might have been that the Raiders were able to hang onto an early lead for the win to improve to 3-4, despite a three-turnover day from their own offense.
Even though he took the opening snap for a 93-yard touchdown (setting an NFL record for a quarterback), Terrelle Pryor was kind of a mess otherwise.
He was 10-of-19 passing for 87 yards and two interceptions, a sparkling passer rating of 25.4.
He benefited from a solid day by his defense and the fact the Steelers were worse for most of the day. They can’t run (35 yards), and the passing game isn’t much sharper, which will only intensify the existing pressure on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
Because for all the talk about their relationship and whether it works, the Steelers aren’t working for a lot of reasons.
Injuries scrambled their offensive line again (including a concussion for left guard Ramon Foster), and that unit wasn’t good to begin with. Normally reliable kicker Shaun Suisham also missed two field goals, but there were plenty of missed opportunities along the way.
With a 2-5 record and a long flight home to think about it, the same is true of the Steelers’ season as a whole.