Ben Roethlisberger's 452 yards passing weren't enough, the franchise record-tying six touchdown passes surrendered were too many, and the first victory of 2018 remains elusive in the wake of Chiefs 42, Steelers 37.
But the Steelers maintained they'll respond to their 0-1-1 start with perspective rather than panic.
"No panic at all, none of that," guard Ramon Foster emphasized late Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field. "We'll be a team that corrects this and moves forward. You guys (in the media) know there are 14 other games, so that's how we have to approach it. To say we bow our heads, no, never that.
"It's just game two, we have time to catch momentum. We have time to correct whatever we have going on. We'll be a team that does the necessary things to get it right, it's early."
Defensive end Cam Heyward, likewise, wasn't happy.
But nor was he concerned about how the Steelers would respond.
"Not at all," Heyward insisted. "We have a great group of guys that are going to come in ready and hungry. We're going to get the job done.
"It's going to start in practice and we're going to build towards it and we're going to be ready Monday night."
The Steelers visit the Buccaneers a week from tonight.
They'll be looking for their first win of a season in their third game of a season for just the second time in head coach Mike Tomlin's 12 seasons (the Steelers opened 0-4 on the way to an 8-8 finish in 2013).
"It's not fun but it's still early," Roethlisberger said. "Where are we going to go from here? It's kind of a (look-in-the-) mirror, gut-check (scenario), whatever you want to call it.
"We'll see how everyone wants to respond."
Roethlisberger has a specific response in mind.
"Move on, get ready to go to the next game," he said. "I've been doing this a long time and I'll try and do my best as a leader to let guys know that we'll put this behind us and get ready for next week."
NOT THERE YET: The longest of Roethlisberger's three TD passes went for 26 yards.
His only scoring strike in the regular-season opener at Cleveland had been for 22 yards.
His deep ball isn't yet producing consistent results, and didn't against the Chiefs.
"I missed a couple," Roethlisberger said. "I talked to (offensive coordinator) Randy (Fichtner) pregame, I thought my ball was moving a little but right.
"I have to do a much better job of keeping the ball in play down the right sideline."
ACROSS THE BOARD: The defense has to do a much better job at everything it tried to do against Kansas City in the estimation of safety Sean Davis.
"Every category for the defense, we were below average," he said. "You can't beat a good team like that.
"We missed tackles, we gave up plays, too many penalties. You can't beat a good team like that."
Heyward was more succinct in his assessment of what had gone wrong.
"We didn't kick enough (butt), simple as that," he said.
LOW POINT: Kicker Chris Boswell missed a 49-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter and an extra point in the second quarter.
It wasn't the bounce back Boswell was seeking after having missed what would have been a game-winning, 42-yard field goal attempt in overtime in Cleveland.
"This is my fourth year now, and this is the most frustrating part of it, right now," he said. "It's not more reps, because I didn't need more reps in the past. I just gotta make them count, and I didn't do that (against the Chiefs).
"This career and this season and life is ups and downs and these last two games are a little bit up but a lot of down. It'll bounce back and even itself out. I just have to keep working and be patient with it and … next kick."
HE SAID IT: "I'll never blame the schemes, we didn't execute." _ outside linebacker T.J. Watt on what went wrong on defense against Kansas City.
