The Steelers have raved about quarterback Aaron Rodgers' leadership throughout his first season in Pittsburgh, and they need it now.

The Steelers are 4-3 after losing their last two games, 35-25 to the Green Bay Packers last Sunday night and 33-31 to the Cincinnati Bengals 10 nights earlier. Though the Steelers still lead the AFC North, their grasp on the division lead is loosening.

So, what advice can Rodgers give the Steelers? How can he use his 21 seasons in the NFL to provide words of wisdom? The 41-year-old believes staying calm is the best thing for the Steelers.

"You've got to stay the course," Rodgers said Wednesday during his weekly media availability.

The defense is the Steelers' biggest culprit in their tailspin. They are giving up the most total yards in the NFL and are 30th among the league's 32 teams in pass defense.

However, Rodgers believes the offense should take some blame. The Steelers had touchdowns on just two of their six scoring drives against the Packers, settling for four field goals by Chris Boswell.

While the Steelers have scored 56 points in the last two games, they are averaging just 3.4 points per third quarter this season. The Steelers are scoring 25.0 points per game, which ranks 11th in the league, but they are 19th in passing offense and 25th in both rushing and total offense.

"We lost a tough one in Cincy on a short week, and we played a good football team (the Packers) and had many chances to get things going," Rodgers said. "We were up 16-7 at half, our defense playing well. Offensively, we've done a good job ending some halves with points, but I'm not sure we scored on the first possession of the second half, and when you're deferring and you're expecting to have a chance to double up, so to speak, that's what changes the game, the middle eight of the game. We haven't played well in the second four."

The competition remains difficult this week, as the Indianapolis Colts (7-1) visit Acrisure Stadium on Sunday. The Colts are scoring a league-leading 33.8 points a game and are also tops in total offense with 385.3 yards a game.

Rodgers might not have any choice but to try to win the game in a shootout.