Adelaide has one win from three games after Port Adelaide came from 31 points down in the third quarter to win by nine points on Sunday.
"It's concerning," Rutten said of Adelaide's sluggish start to the year.
"We need to strip it back and get more guys playing well ... we have just got too many guys that aren't playing to the standard that they're accustomed to and what they need to."
Rutten said those out of form faced being axed.
"I would assume so," he said of the prospect of selection changes for Sunday's home fixture against the Western Bulldogs.
"We have got some guys pushing for selection and playing well in the SANFL. And it's part of AFL footy: you need to be in form to hold your position otherwise you're under threat of selection changes."
Adelaide has never lost two games in a row under second-year coach Brenton Sanderson and Rutten backed his teammates to maintain that record.
"The guys are a pretty proud group and are pretty disappointed in our performance that we put up yesterday," he said.
"But we don't have time to wallow in our performance. We need to get on with it.
"You never want to get behind the (win-loss) ledger. It's very tough to play catch-up later in the year ... we need to start winning."
Rutten also said game-breaker Patrick Dangerfield wasn't getting the help he needs from the rest of the side.
Dangerfield, 23, couldn't back up his second round heroics against the Brisbane Lions in the Showdown, managing just 13 effective disposals and his side struggled with him.
It was the same story in round one against Essendon, when Dangerfield had just 17 touches after being well held by Bomber Heath Hocking.
Rutten said the midfielder was somewhat of a barometer for Adelaide, but that he wasn't getting enough support – unlike last season when the side carried very few passengers.
"Danger's an important player ... he's also got that ability to drag guys along with him," Rutten said.
"We need more blokes contributing, we're not getting 20-22 guys contributing at the level [needed] at the moment.
"That was the strength of us last year was our depth within the team … at the moment I think we've just got too many guys that aren't playing at the standard that they're accustomed to and what they need to."
Harry Thring is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.
