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PITTSBURGH -- Effort has not been a problem in Steelers' the first four games, Ryan Clark said, even though the veteran safety intimated that the coaches have told the players they need to improve in that area.

"Different things have been talked about in meetings that really haven't set well with me because the film shows one thing but I know when a guy gets blocked he's not trying to get blocked," Clark said. "I know when a guy misses a tackle he's not attempting to miss that tackle. The effort is there. We just aren't executing. We aren't in the right places when we need to be defensively."

As a result, the Steelers' coaches didn't spare any player or consider any critique too minor when they reviewed film from the 34-27 loss to the Vikings.

"When you're 0-4 you're coached differently than when you're 12-4 and that's all it is," Clark said. "I think some of those things sometimes speak to effort, some of things things sometimes speak to will to win, and as far as I'm concerned it's the same as it's always been, at least with the guys I'm around each and every day. I see how guys around here are working. I see the people in the weight room. I see the extra film study.

"That's the tough part about losing. Things get sticky in the building. When you don't win football games changes need to be made and the chemistry and air and personality of the building becomes a little difficult to live in."

Does the different coaching the Steelers are getting mean the line between coaches and players has become more defined in the wake of an 0-4 start?

Clark offered an emphatic "no" to that question when I asked it before the Steelers' first practice of the week.

"Don't make it a battle. It's not a battle," Clark said. "When I say coached differently you have to find reasons to why you're losing. You have to turn over every stone as a coach to try to put your players in the correct positions. Sometimes when things are going well a mistake or two may be missed or glossed over because you still found a way to win the game.

"When you're losing, everything is pointed out. Some things as players that you may not see as big as what the coaches may make it. Some things you've been doing for 12 years but they feel like those things need to change in order for you to win, and I think that's what we're going through as a team. It's an adjustment period because obviously what we've done so far this season isn't working."

Clark said he understands the approach the coaches are taking.

"Our coaches are making sure we have no excuses as players," Clark said. "Sometimes you can go on the field and say, 'I never saw that,' or 'I was never coached that.' We don't have that problem right now. Our coaches are doing everything they can to get us a win so it's going to be on us to go out and execute those things and put those things in to play."

PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates, of all teams, have provided some cover to the Steelers and their miserable start.

Postseason baseball has returned to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1992 as the Pirates will host the Cincinnati Reds in the National League wild-card playoff game Tuesday night at PNC Park.

While the Pirates scuffled through one losing season after another following Francisco Cabrera's hit in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS that broke the hearts of Pittsburgh fans, the Steelers were regular postseason participants.

The Steelers have, in fact, played in 29 postseason games since 1992, including four Super Bowls.

Some of the veteran players were asked what advice they would give to the Pirates prior to their elimination game with the Reds.

“Have fun, relish in the moment of the opportunity that you have to be there. Just go out there and give it everything you have,” Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. “One thing I remember about playoff games is when you do lose them you don’t want it to be that you left anything on the field and felt like you did what you had to do to allow your team to win, and I know they will.”

Pittsburgh’s major professional sports teams have a history of supporting one another, and the Steelers have gotten behind the Pirates’ run to the postseason.

“I know the fans are excited, we are excited and they will be excited,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “It’s probably different in baseball compared to football because going into a Super Bowl or a game like this you tell guys not to get over-excited because your adrenaline can get the best of you. In baseball I don’t know if it’s the same philosophy or not. Maybe you want that adrenaline.”

And Roethlisberger’s advice to the Pirates?

“Just win,” he said. “Find whatever it takes to win.”

PITTSBURGH -- Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger partially dislocated the index finger on his throwing hand last Sunday, but he said the injury isn't serious and won't prevent him from playing Oct. 13 when the Steelers visit the New York Jets.

The Steelers have a bye this week, and Roethlisberger said his injury is minor enough that he could have practiced today.

"I'd go because I want to be out there," Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger hurt his right finger when he hit the hand of a Vikings defensive player while throwing a touchdown pass to Jerricho Cotchery. He didn't miss any playing time and threw for 383 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a 34-27 loss to the Vikings.

The Steelers survived another injury scare with starting left guard Ramon Foster.

Foster left the game against the Vikings with a chest injury but sustained only a minor pectoral sprain, according to multiple reports. He could return against the Jets.

Running back LeVeon Bell said he felt fine after playing in his first NFL game.

Bell, who had been out with a mid-foot sprain since Aug. 19, started at running back and rushed for 57 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 16 carries. Bell also caught four passes for 27 yards and said his right foot held up well.

"I tweaked it a bit during the game," Bell said, "but it didn't give me any issues."

A weekly examination of the Steelers’ ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 16 | Last week: No. 28 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

Apparently the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t the worst team in the NFL despite what quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said after the team dropped to 0-4. Roethlisberger, however, was not far off, according to the ESPN.com Power Rankings. The Steelers slipped another spot after their fourth-quarter rally fell short in a 34-27 loss to the Vikings, and they are ranked ahead of only the Giants, Buccaneers and Jaguars. Here is a voting breakdown:

Ashley Fox: 29

Mike Sando: 26

Kevin Seifert: 31

John Clayton: 28

Dan Graziano: 29

Jamison Hensley: 29

As stunning as it is to see the Steelers so low, it is hard to argue with their ranking. Yes, they have been in every game this season, but a team that always used to find a way to win is now finding ways to lose. The offense came to life in London but the defense collapsed, and so it goes for the Steelers, who have started a season 0-4 for the first time since 1968, the year “60 Minutes” was born. The Steelers have yet to put together a solid 60 minutes of football, and until they do so, they will continue to lag near the bottom of the Power Rankings.

PITTSBURGH -- Steel City wake-up: morning links

A film review by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Mark Kaboly confirmed that missed tackles across the board were a major reason the Steelers returned from London with their first 0-4 start since 1968. Cornerback Cortez Allen was the biggest offender in this area as he missed three tackles, including one on Greg Jennings’ 70-yard catch and run for a touchdown.

Dick LeBeau’s defense is predicated on stopping the run and not allowing big plays. The Steelers haven’t done either particularly well, and they need to shore up both areas if they are going to turn their season around.

The film review also showed that as bad as left tackle Mike Adams is playing, the Steelers’ coaches aren’t making it any easier for him. Adams rarely got help from a tight end or a running back on passing plays. That makes no sense considering his struggles and the fact that Adams had to block Jared Allen, one of the best pass-rushers in the game.

The Steelers get back to work today, and they will practice the next two days before a four-day break for the players because of the bye week.

The answers to the Steelers’ myriad problems will have to come from within the organization. Players who are unsigned right now are free agents for a reason. Also, the limitations of a 53-man roster don’t allow coaches to make sweeping changes so don’t expect any from the Steelers despite Mike Tomlin’s terse and thinly veiled warning to his players after the 34-27 loss to the Vikings.

The Steelers did get some good news in regard to their offensive line as it looks like left guard Ramon Foster only sustained a minor chest injury in the Vikings game. Foster has stepped up to lead the beleaguered line, and if the bye week gives the fifth-year veteran ample time to heal, the Steelers have some flexibility at tackle with Kelvin Beachum's ability play there on both the right and left side.

PITTSBURGH -- A quarterback who won his first 13 NFL starts and was a two-time Super Bowl champion before the age of 28 is not accustomed to losing. So maybe it was no surprise that Ben Roethlisberger said after a 34-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings that the Pittsburgh Steelers might be the worst team in the NFL.

The comments raised a lot of eyebrows, but they sure beat the alternative.

Roethlisberger could have ripped into an offensive line that is a major reason why he is on pace to get sacked a whopping 60 times this season. He could have said he might have been able to complete an improbable and season-saving comeback in London had he gotten a little more help from his teammates.

And to be sure, Roethlisberger had to take some of the blame for the Steelers falling short at the end against the Vikings. He turned the ball over twice, and he took a sack and lost a fumble when the Steelers would have had one more chance to score a touchdown had Roethlisberger thrown the ball out of bounds.

But I thought his postgame comments showed true leadership. Roethlisberger didn’t try to put any sort of spin on the Steelers’ worst start since 1968. Instead, he essentially challenged everyone to take a long, honest look at themselves with the Steelers pushed to the brink.

“Ben is part of the solution there,” said ESPN NFL Insider Billy Devaney, the former St. Louis Rams’ general manager. “He is not the problem. They still have time to get things straightened out.”

Only one team since 1990 has made the playoff following an 0-4 start.

Devaney happened to be a part of it.

He was San Diego’s director of player personnel in 1992 when the Chargers won 11 of their final 12 games after an 0-4 start.

Devaney did not go as far to predict the Steelers will pull off a similar turnaround. But he thinks the offense will get better as the offensive line gets more experience and as Le'Veon Bell settles in at running back.

PITTSBURGH -- An examination of four hot issues from the Pittsburgh Steelers' 34-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

NFL's worst team? Forget numbers when assessing how far the Steelers have fallen. Simply listen to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who said the Steelers might be the worst team in the league after falling to 0-4. Only the presence of the Jacksonville Jaguars makes that a slight exaggeration, but the point is well taken. Coach Mike Tomlin drew a line after the loss and said those who are not fully vested in turning the Steelers’ season around will not be with the team. “It’s that simple,” he said. Actually, it isn’t. Roster limitations preclude Tomlin from making sweeping changes as much as he would probably like to go that route, especially along the offensive line. Left tackle Mike Adams has been a disaster, but any plans to try Kelvin Beachum there might be put on hold if left guard Ramon Foster's chest injury causes him to miss some games.

Poor tackling: The Steelers’ tackling, as it turned out, was every bit as bad as it looked. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson gained 93 of his 140 yards after contact, according the ESPN Stats & Information. Peterson had gained 112 yards after contact in his first three games combined. The Steelers weren’t any more successful when they dared Vikings quarterback Matt Cassel to beat them. Cassel completed 7 of 10 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown when the Steelers put eight men in the box, according the ESPN Stats & Information. The bye-week practices give the Steelers a chance to get back to basics. Working on their tackling technique will be a top priority this week.

Ugly streak: Pittsburgh’s streak of rushing for fewer than 100 yards has stretched to 10 games, but the ground attack is headed in the right direction. Le'Veon Bell asserted himself as the feature back with 57 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his NFL debut. Assuming he stays healthy, the Steelers can ditch the running-back-by-committee approach they had been forced to use. Jonathan Dwyer and Felix Jones will also factor into the running game moving forward, and Isaac Redman looks like the odd man out. Redman, who opened the season as the starter, might not carry the ball again in what will be his final season with the Steelers. He did not dress against the Vikings and will be inactive as long as Bell, Dwyer and Jones stay healthy.

Not so special: Special teams play, which had been a strength through the first three games, took a step back against the Vikings. The Steelers gave up an average of almost 29 yards on five kickoff returns, and only a penalty on a fair-catch signal brought back a long punt return by the Vikings. Zoltan Mesko could be on shaky ground after averaging 35.4 yards on four punts, and the Steelers did not get much out of their return game. One worry they don’t have on special teams is Shaun Suisham. The veteran kicker is 6-for-6 on field goal attempts this season after making two against the Vikings.

PITTSBURGH -- Steel City wake-up call: morning links

The Steelers bottomed out across the Atlantic Ocean Sunday in their 34-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. At least the Steelers have to hope they did following their first 0-4 start since 1968.

The bye is next for the Steelers, and there won’t just be a lot of soul searching at team headquarters during a shortened work week for the players. Coach Mike Tomlin tersely said changes may also be coming after a furious rally fell short at London’s Wembley Stadium.

A change of scenery did not help the Steelers flip what has been an all-too-familiar script. And just as tiresome as the shoddy play that resulted in the team going 0-for-September is the belief, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gene Collier opines, that some cling to about why the Steelers are still winless. If the Steelers think they are just a couple of plays from turning losses into wins, Collier, writes, they are deluding themselves.

The Steelers, in reality are a mess, and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Dejan Kovacevic writes that the unfamiliar sights extended to the locker room after the game. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said the Steelers may be the worst team in the NFL.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac handed out his grades, and let’s just say he did not grade on a curve based on the Steelers’ first three games.

One player who received high marks was Le’Veon Bell. The rookie running had a solid NFL debut, rushing for two touchdowns. Not that he was in a celebratory mood afterwards. As Bell said of his two touchdowns, the Steelers needed one more from him to win.