Collingwood's third loss in four weeks has signalled the warning alarms as they've been knocked off the top perch by Adelaide.
Despite a rampant second quarter, the Pies were comprehensively beaten by Brisbane at the MCG on Saturday, losing disposals (376-291), clearances (51-34), contested possession (139-117) and were matched for tackles.
But those who watched the contest between the two contenders saw a difference in styles, with the Lions adjusting to the dewy conditions better than the hosts.
"If you're a Collingwood supporter at home, you'd think, ‘Geez, we played probably as bad as we played since Round 0 (against GWS)'. That's real, but that would be disrespecting Brisbane's hunt and pressure," McRae said.
"We invited pressure by handballing way too much. I actually sent the runner out three times to say, ‘Can we kick the ball?' You could hear even the supporters going, ‘Can you kick it?' And they Bronx cheered us when we kicked the ball.
"We can't afford to be smashed in the contest, and we can't afford to give the opposition the ball.
"I asked the group – apparently Brisbane had a really stern and honest session about their contest and stuff, and I said, ‘Do you need that from me? Do you want that?' I just don't think we need that."
Saturday's loss to Brisbane laid bare the Pies' defensive struggles, especially in the absence of premiership players Jeremy Howe and Billy Frampton.
Following from Fremantle forward Patrick Voss' six goals a fortnight ago, the likes of Darcy Moore and Charlie Dean were no match for Brisbane's Logan Morris, who also put half a dozen through the big sticks. This prompted McRae to swing Dan McStay into defence.
"Yeah, that's real. And look, Howie hasn't played those weeks. So there's a like, oh, are we too heavily reliant on Howie?. Yeah, there's some concerns. Dealing facts. Yeah, absolutely," McRae said.
"I hope (Howe returns). Yeah, he's positioning himself to be available. He's got to get through training and things like that," he said.
Howe and Frampton are poised to return for Thursday's clash against Hawthorn.
A positive for the Pies was the return of Jordan De Goey and Bobby Hill, who played limited minutes on Saturday.
The duo have had long layoffs but featured in the VFL last week in a bid to push for AFL selection, and will play a significant role in Collingwood's premiership push.
