Steelers know what needs fixed. Now comes the hard part.

Four games were apparently enough for Mike McCarthy to reach a pretty simple conclusion about his Pittsburgh Steelers: “Our house is not clean right now.”

At 2-2, it would be difficult to argue otherwise. The Steelers have shown enough through the first month of the season to believe they’re capable of being a good football team, with stretches where the offense moves the ball, the defense creates turnovers and Pittsburgh looks capable of competing with anyone. The problem is that we’ve rarely seen all of those things happen at the same time.

That’s why the extended break following last Thursday’s 27-24 loss in Cleveland may have come at a good time. Rather than immediately moving on to Indianapolis, McCarthy adjusted the schedule and gave his coaching staff additional time to self-scout the first four games before beginning preparations for the Colts.

There was no shortage of material to examine. Third downs continue to stall the offense, missed tackles have become a concern on defense and opponents have found too many explosive plays. Pittsburgh’s passing game is also searching for more consistency against the amount of man coverage it has seen.

The Steelers have had four games to identify their problems. Now comes the harder part: actually fixing them.

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Third down remains the biggest offensive concern

McCarthy didn’t leave much doubt about Pittsburgh’s biggest offensive emphasis this week, calling third down the team’s “number one focus on offense.” What’s particularly frustrating is that the Steelers aren’t always putting themselves in impossible situations. McCarthy pointed toward the number of opportunities Pittsburgh has had in the third-and-2 to third-and-6 range, where the offense should have plenty of options available rather than being forced into obvious passing situations.

We saw both sides of the issue in Cleveland. Pittsburgh opened the game with a sustained touchdown drive aided by successful third-down conversions, only to have the offense disappear for a stretch later in the game. Offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio specifically pointed toward the third quarter, when the Steelers went three-and-out on three consecutive possessions.

Aaron Rodgers and company don’t necessarily need to become an offensive juggernaut overnight. Extending another two or three drives can completely change a game by creating more scoring opportunities, controlling possession and preventing Pittsburgh’s defense from repeatedly being asked to get the offense another chance.

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The receivers have to win their matchups

Pittsburgh’s third-down problems connect to another trend the coaching staff identified during its self-scout. Opponents haven’t been afraid to challenge Steelers receivers with man coverage, including press-man looks in important situations. McCarthy discussed improving everything from releases to route stems and being physical at the breaking point, while Angelichio mentioned examining formations and concepts that can help receivers create separation.

There are schematic ways to help, but eventually somebody still has to beat the defender across from him. That’s why the closing stages of the Cleveland game may have provided something Pittsburgh can build upon, as DK Metcalf began winning his individual matchup down the sideline and Rodgers connected with him on consecutive throws during the comeback attempt.

Angelichio said those plays looked like what the Steelers saw from the Rodgers-Metcalf connection throughout the spring and training camp. More importantly, Cleveland left Metcalf singled up and he made them pay for it. If defenses continue challenging Pittsburgh’s receivers one-on-one, the Steelers need more of the same.

The missed tackles can’t continue

Of all the problems Pittsburgh identified during its self-scout, tackling may be the most concerning heading into Sunday. The Steelers missed too many against Cleveland, with McCarthy calling the number “not acceptable.” Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham pointed toward pursuit angles, getting off blocks and properly populating the football as areas that have to improve.

Graham also pushed back on the idea that the problem comes from a lack of effort. A poor angle or being a step late getting off a block can put a defender in a terrible position before he ever attempts the tackle. Regardless of the cause, the result can turn what should have been a short gain into an explosive play.

That’s an especially dangerous problem to carry into Sunday’s game. Graham made no attempt to hide where his defensive preparation for Indianapolis begins, saying, “It starts with the running back.” We’ll get much deeper into Jonathan Taylor and that matchup before Sunday, but the basic assignment isn’t complicated: Pittsburgh has to get defenders to the football and finish tackles when they’re there.

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A changing defense needs some new faces to step up

Correcting Pittsburgh’s defensive problems becomes more complicated because the Steelers won’t be doing it with the same personnel. Derrick Harmon is headed to injured reserve, removing an ascending piece from the defensive front, while the secondary continues undergoing changes following the Joey Porter Jr. trade.

Jamel Dean has been working his way back from injury and DeShon Elliott continues progressing toward a return, creating opportunities for younger players to take on larger roles. Daylen Everette is one of them, with McCarthy saying the young corner has been pushing for playing time and is ready for a larger opportunity.

Robert Spears-Jennings also gave the Steelers something to build upon in Cleveland. He came away with an interception and a pass breakup, with Graham praising his physical traits, football intelligence and ability to learn without repeatedly making the same mistakes.

The Steelers have talked about their confidence in these younger players. With injuries and roster moves forcing their hand, they’re about to find out how ready they really are.

It’s time to see what the self-scout accomplished

Four games aren’t enough to define an entire season, especially for a team with a new coaching staff and several significant personnel changes. They’re more than enough, however, to identify some trends.

Third down isn’t good enough. Pittsburgh’s receivers have to consistently win against man coverage. The defense has to tackle better and eliminate explosive plays, and some younger players are going to have to grow into larger roles sooner than expected.

McCarthy summed up the urgency of the situation with another comment this week: “Training camp is over and we’re 2-2.” That’s the reality for a Steelers team that has spent the last several days examining itself and determining what needs to change.

There isn’t much value in talking about what this team might eventually become anymore. Pittsburgh has identified its problems and had extra time to work on them.

Sunday against Indianapolis is where we start finding out if anything actually changed.