The Steelers are 7-3, which is good and should inspire hope in the masses. But standing side by side with that division-leading, playoff-likely record is an offensive malaise that could -- and should -- wipe out much of the optimism.

The Steelers are having considerable difficulty scoring touchdowns.

Teams so afflicted usually don't go far in the playoffs, where the caliber of opposition is consistently good.

The facts are these:

• The Steelers have scored seven touchdowns in their past four games, which is not good. What is worse is that with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback for 14 of those 16 quarters, they scored only five touchdowns.

• On Sunday, they had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver and did not score a touchdown, which could be an NFL first.

• The Steelers are in a four-way tie for 14th place in the NFL in offensive touchdowns. Last season, they finished in a two-way tie for fifth place.

Clearly, something is wrong with the Steelers' offense.

E-mailers pointed the finger at offensive coordinator Bruce Arians after last week's loss to Indianapolis, conveniently forgetting that Arians was in the same position last year when the offense was somewhat potent.

There are many reasons for this decline. Injuries are a major one. So is the caliber of the opposition. Coaching philosophy enters into it, although the staff is the same.

Injuries cannot be minimized. No one likes to use them as an excuse, but it's impossible to dismiss them as a reason for the offensive decline. In 2007, the six starters on the offensive line, including the tight end, missed a combined total of four games -- all by left tackle Marvel Smith.

In 2008, after 10 games, there already have been 13 missed starts at those same positions. And that doesn't take into account that the best of those players from last season, left guard Alan Faneca, is no longer with the team.

In 2007, Willie Parker, the top running back on a team that emphasized the run, missed only one regular-season start. This season, he already has missed five starts.

Additionally, Roethlisberger separated his shoulder in the first game of the season, and, although he has missed no starts, he has yet to return to full health. He was second in the NFL in passer rating last year. This year, he is 21st.

With the absence of Faneca, the health of Roethlisberger and the abundance of injuries, it's understandable the offense is in decline.

Even their prized running attack is faltering. The Steelers finished third in rushing in the NFL last season, averaging 135 yards a game and 4.2 yards an attempt. This season, they are 23rd, averaging 99 yards a game and 3.6 yards an attempt.

These are the kinds of declines that can get an offensive coordinator fired. We're not pointing a finger at Arians' play-calling, which is a popular sport in Pittsburgh. We're suggesting that as the man in charge of the offense he has to do a better job of getting it to produce points in the games ahead.

Such a game is at hand.

Just when you need them, the Cincinnati Bengals, they of the 1-8-1 record, show up tomorrow night at Heinz Field. With Parker back in the lineup and coming off a 100-yard game and with Roethlisberger coming of a 300-yard, no-interception game, the time is ripe for the Steelers' offense to play better and score some touchdowns. The Steelers scored five of them the previous time the teams played in a 38-10 whipping by the Steelers Oct. 19. More of the same could provide the Steelers with the impetus to continue to play well as the opposition gets much stronger in the next four games -- New England, Dallas, Baltimore, Tennessee.

The Bengals have the 20th-ranked defense in the NFL, which should bode well, except San Diego was 26th Sunday and the Steelers' offense scored only nine points.

Coach Mike Tomlin didn't want to hear about a need for the offense to improve.

"I don't think now is the time for us to worry about improvement per se unless it's geared toward winning," he said. "And that's where our mind-set is -- preparing to play the Cincinnati Bengals and playing well enough, not only on offense but on defense and special teams, to do that."

Tomlin doesn't want the topic of a declining offense hanging over his team. But it's there and until it goes away, that once-rosy future facing the Steelers is in jeopardy.