A sluggish start for the Rams didn't get any better during the EFL Cup break midweek, losing 3-0 to Liverpool, destroying fan and player morale.
It's not the result, but the scoreline that really was disappointing.
Liverpool eased through and some of the defending on show was terrible, and yet again Derby County couldn't find the back of the net.
That's the seventh game that's happened out of eleven, and the club are also the lowest scorers in the league with just two goals.
This could be a real problem for Nigel Pearson's men, who's defensive record is play-off standard.
They brought in Matej Vydra and Ikechi Anya towards the end of the transfer window, and are hoping that some of their talent finally find the back of the net.
They face Blackburn on Saturday at the iPro, a stadium in which the Rams are yet to win in the league.
Rovers themselves are struggling, having lost five games already and are sat in 23rd place. They beat Rotherham 4-2 last time out for their first league win, and Owen Coyle will want his side to back that up.
Here, in the opinion of FLW's Ryan Evans, is a Derby XI that will dominate Blackburn on Saturday...
GK: Scott Carson
The only real choice Pearson has in this position, Carson is likely going to be unchallenged throughout most of this Championship season.
He has Chris Weale and Jonathan Mitchell also at his disposal, but no one with the talent or experience of Carson.
Many Derby fans think he's started poorly to the season, but the stats say otherwise.
In eight games, he's conceded only seven and kept three clean sheets, although the Rams may want more out of their number one.
The former England international played in 38 Championship games last season, keeping 16 clean sheets along the way - a very decent record.
RB: Cyrus Christie
Again, the only choice in this position, but for very different reasons.
Christie is considered by many at the iPro and many outside of it as one of the best right-backs in the league, after a good campaign last season in which the Irish international played 44 games, scoring once and setting up three along the way.
He's featured in all but one game this season, the penalty shoot-out win over Carlisle in the EFL Cup second round, and, as their only recognised right-back, is likely to be utilised by Pearson many times between now and May.
CB: Richard Keogh
Derby's captain has been ever present in all competitions so far in this campaign, racking up over 1,000 minutes during his 11 games so far.
The 30-year old has over 200 appearances for the Rams, and with over 90 for Carlisle and Coventry, this is by far the longest time he's spent at any club.
Keogh is a very good player, and one that needs to keep his performances at a high level if Derby are serious about their promotion chances.
CB: Alex Pearce
Jason Shackell lost his place in the team ahead of the defeat to Ipswich on 13th September, with it later being revealed it had actually been a calf injury that kept him out.
Alex Pearce came into the side and did a decent job for the three games that the ex-Burnley man has missed, and it looks like Shackell could be missing again on Saturday.
Pearce, who signed from Reading in June 2015, has had limited opportunities at the iPro, making only eight first team appearances with six of those coming in this season. He will hope that he can capitalise on this chance and give Nigel Pearson no choice but to keep him in the team even when Shackell returns from his injury.
LB: Martin Olsson
This is the first position that Pearson actually has options in for this weekend.
Olsson, who signed from Rovers in January, made the position his own after signing, missing just two games before the end of the season, and has played the latest four games of this season but is yet to be on the winning side.
The Rams also have Craig Forsyth, who has made three appearances and scored the winner in the only game they've won in this campaign, and young Max Lowe, who has made two cup appearances, but I fully expect Olsson to be given the nod once more.
CDM: Will Hughes
After a summer of heavy speculation that Derby's star midfielder could be moving on Manchester United, Hughes' 2016-17 campaign so far has been something of a damp squib.
He's played in all of Derby's matches in league and cup, 11 games, but has just one assist to his name.
Having played in central midfield, defensive midfield and left midfield, it appears that Pearson is still trying to find out where exactly the best position to play him is.
Unless Hughes starts putting in the performances soon, Pearson may have no choice to give another player a chance, especially considering the plethora of talent they have in that position.
CDM: Craig Bryson
One of Derby's best performers this season has been Craig Bryson, who, despite 23 appearances in the league last season, has been ever-present in this campaign.
He has a solitary assist to his name from the cup win over Grimsby, but that's not really the reason he's in the side, as he's more of the player who anchors the midfield.
It'll be interesting to see whether Pearson does away with a player of Bryson's mould considering Derby's goalscoring woes, but there's no doubting that the balance in the middle of the park must be right.
At home to the club second from bottom, however, may tempt Pearson to shake things up a bit.
RM: Ikechi Anya
Already beginning to pay back his transfer fee from his deadline day move, Anya scored the goal that ended Derby's 400+ minute goalscoring drought in the draw with Bristol City, just his third appearance for the club.
The Scottish international, who is a key member of Gordon Strachan's team, has been utilised at right-midfield by Pearson, despite not actually playing there for Watford this season.
He was stuck at right-back in his one Premier League appearance and left-midfield in the cup defeat to Gillingham, and will be hoping to become the player from two seasons ago rather than the last campaign.
He claimed seven assists as the Hornets got promoted to the Premier League, but only one whilst there.
CAM: Jacob Butterfield
Butterfield has featured in all but one game, but has only played anywhere near 90 minutes four times out of ten, with two of those occasions coming in the cup.
This means he has just 418 league minutes, an average of less than an hour per game.
That itself could be the reason behind Butterfield not being involved in a goal, his lack of time on the pitch.
There's no doubting that he needs to improve his performances, but Pearson needs to stick with him or the player will constantly be fearing for his place rather than trying to help his team mates.
LM: Tom Ince
I'm going for Ince over Abdoul Camara and playing him on the left-hand side of midfield as it's a position that he played last weekend, after coming on for Butterfield in the latter stages.
He, like his teammate, is yet to be involved with a goal, and is so far failing to live up to all the hype around him.
He scored 12 goals and claimed seven assists last season in a good campaign, but needs to get back to form in this campaign if he wants to really fulfil his potential.
He's had spells at Liverpool, Blackpool, Hull and Derby, with his most potent spell being 33 in 113 for the Seasiders between August 2011 and January 2014. He also claimed another 30 assists there.
ST: Matej Vydra
With three appearances to his name so far at Derby, Vydra really needs a goal to kick start his career.
He was disappointing last season for Reading (three in 31 in the league) despite scoring six in five FA Cup games, but Derby fans really need to look forward to the Matej Vydra of 2014-15 season coming back, where he scored 16 goals and claimed another six assists for Watford.
There's no doubting that the 24-year old can do it, it's just whether the iPro is the right place for that to happen.
Elsewhere, they have Nick Blackman, Andreas Weimann, Darren Bent and James Wilson, with the latter being a doubt.
Derby fans, what do you think? Is this team good enough to beat Blackburn? What changes would you make? Let us know your opinions below!