Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley has admitted that his team face a battle to keep their season alive following their poor start.

Mike Tomlin's side began the year 0-4 but won back-to-back games against the New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens before slumping to a defeat last week to the Oakland Raiders to fall to 2-5.

Woodley told the club's official website: "I am all about the wins. I would rather have zero sacks and be 5-0. I would take that over individual stats any day.

"When we lose, we lose as a team. Getting individual stats doesn't mean anything at all when you aren't going out there winning football games. I think it's been gut check time ever since we were 0-4.

"It's been gut check time to come out of that hole. We started coming out of the hole and then we went to Oakland and lost. Each week now is gut check time because of the way we started the season."

The Steelers face the New England Patriots on Sunday.