The Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs have set the pace through the first quarter of the NFL season with a combined 8-0 record.

Both teams are talked about as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

But while Los Angeles and Kansas City receive a ton of deserved praise, the bigger story might be the number of projected contenders that have struggled through the first four weeks. 

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-2-1.

On Monday, there were reports that running back Le’Veon Bell will end his holdout and return to Pittsburgh in Week 7. That’s good news for a Steelers side that managed just 19 rushing yards in a 26-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens the night before. 

James Conner is a talented running back. That said, he’s been held to under 20 rushing yards twice in four games. Pittsburgh ranks last in the NFL in both yards per carry (2.8) and rushing yards per game (43.3). The Steelers could certainly use the running back that led the league with a combined 3,830 scrimmage yards, including 1,495 yards after first contact, over the last two seasons.

Even without Bell, it’s difficult to understand the lapses the Pittsburgh offence has experienced through the first four weeks. The Steelers didn’t score a single point in the second half of either of their last two games. They have been shut out in the fourth quarter in three of their first four contests. Pittsburgh didn’t convert a single third down in the second half of Sunday’s loss to Baltimore.

Ben Roethlisberger was 0-for-4 with an interception when targeting Brown on those third down pass attempts. One year after topping 100 receiving yards in eight of his 14 games, Antonio Brown is still looking for his first 100-yard receiving game of the season.

The Steelers are 41-19 since 2013 when Bell, Brown and Roethlisberger are all in the lineup. They are 16-14-1 over that span when any one of those three didn’t play.

As bad as the Pittsburgh offence has looked at times, it’s the defence that is the team’s biggest concern. The Steelers rank 30th in the NFL in total defence – they’ve allowed an average of 31.6 points per game over their last three contests. 

Pittsburgh did a good job limiting what the Ravens were able to do on the ground last week. However, Joe Flacco torched them for 363 yards and two touchdowns. The lack of any real consistent pass rush has been a major issue all season. It also doesn’t help that key players have underachieved. 

According to Pro Football Focus, cornerback Artie Burns is one of three NFL cornerbacks that have allowed a perfect passer rating when targeted this season. It’s no surprise he was benched after Week 3. Burns’ replacement, Coty Sensabaugh, and fellow cornerback Joe Haden have also graded out poorly. 

The lack of a consistent pass rush combined with some awful secondary play has left the Pittsburgh defence looking very vulnerable over the first few weeks of the season. The Steelers will need Bell if they are going to contend in the AFC. Pittsburgh also needs to be a lot better defensively in order to have a chance.

Next up for Pittsburgh is a home game against another team worth mentioning here in the Atlanta Falcons.

Two weeks ago, Drew Brees ran for a touchdown with 1:15 left on the clock in the fourth quarter and then punched in another score in overtime to lead the New Orleans Saints to a 43-37 win over the Falcons. 

This past Sunday, it was Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton hooking up with A.J. Green for a 13-yard touchdown pass with seven seconds left on the clock for a 37-36 comeback win over Atlanta. 

The Falcons are better than their 1-3 record indicates but their inability to finish off opponents in the fourth quarter has come back to haunt them. Will it continue against the Steelers in Week 5? Regardless of the outcome, it’s incredible that one of Pittsburgh or Atlanta will be stuck on one win heading into Week 6.

Speaking of contenders stuck at one win, how many experts would have predicted that Minnesota would be 1-2-1 heading in to a Week 5 showdown with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles? 

While last week’s 38-31 loss to the Los Angeles Rams is understandable, the same can’t be said about the 27-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills the week before. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has been one of the most accurate passers in the league through the first four weeks with a 69.3 per cent completion rate. He’s thrown for 1,387 yards with 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions. 

However, early turnovers really cost Minnesota against the Bills and last week the Rams torched the Vikings defence for 556 total yards. 

Minnesota is a good football team. That doesn’t change the fact that this team is staring down a potential 1-3-1 start as they head to Philadelphia this Sunday.

The Steelers, Falcons and Vikings were all expected to contend in their respective conferences this season. Instead, those teams have combined for just three wins in 12 games.

While the Rams and Chiefs have been in the spotlight for all of the right reasons, the bigger story is why Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Minnesota aren’t right there with them among the best teams in the NFL heading into Week 5.