NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- If you felt like crying yesterday after the Steelers' loss, you were not alone.
None of the make-believe songs they sing in the gin joints and honky-tonks on Lower Broadway is any sadder than the real-life drama that played out in Adelphia Coliseum.
"This is probably the first time in my life I came to tears over a game," safety Lee Flowers said.
The guess here is Flowers and his teammates will recover quicker than you.
It's easy to be down on the Steelers and predict gloom and doom after their 9-7 loss to Tennessee. Their quarterback stinks. Their No. 1 draft picks at wide receiver stink. Their offense stinks and will get worse if their Hall of Fame center's tired hamstring finally has blown.
It's easy to predict another second-half collapse, just like the past two seasons.
Easy, but not necessarily accurate.
"We have to stay on the path," linebacker Levon Kirkland said. "We're not quite there yet, but I think we're on the right path. If we keep playing like this, we're going to win a lot of games."
Flowers didn't cry because he thinks the season is over. He cried because he thinks the better team lost.
"They're supposed to be the best in the AFC, maybe the best in the whole league. Twice, we had them on the ropes. And twice, we left them off."
It happened Sept. 24 at Three Rivers Stadium when quarterback Steve McNair rallied the Titans late to a 23-20 win by completing a third-and-11 pass to wide receiver Chris Sanders for 22 yards.
It happened yesterday when McNair completed a 17-yard pass to wide receiver Derrick Mason on fourth-and-8 to set up the winning field goal.
"Relief and joy," Mason said when asked to describe the Titans' mood.
"We're so close ... " Flowers said, quietly.
There were no tears from Bill Cowher, only anger.
"We didn't come down here for any consolations. We came down expecting to win."
But later, after his disappointment eased a bit, he allowed the obvious.
"We came away from this knowing we can play with people."
The Steelers won't play a better team the rest of the way. That's why this loss doesn't have to be the beginning of the end.
It would be nice if the offense started making some plays and helping a defense that has gone five games without allowing a touchdown. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem likely.
Kordell Stewart is what he is, a weak quarterback who completed 7 of 22 passes for 112 yards against the Titans.
High-priced receivers Plaxico Burress and Troy Edwards are doing little to help Stewart. Edwards had another big drop yesterday. Isn't it time Hines Ward and Bobby Shaw played more, salaries be damned? At least they will run the right routes and make the catches.
Then, there's Dermontti Dawson's hamstring. He limped off in the second quarter yesterday and didn't return. If he misses much time, the running game will suffer.
But all of that said, there's reason to believe the Steelers can win a few more games and stay in the wild-card chase. Maybe it will have to be, 9-6, like they won in Baltimore eight days ago or, 7-6, like they almost won here. But the defense is playing that well, with that much passion.
"This team is different than the last two seasons," Kirkland said. "The effort is better. We're tougher."
That was obvious after Titans offensive tackle Fred Miller sent Kirkland flying with a late block on the game's first series. Kirkland jumped up, put his finger in Miller's face and let him know they would see each other again.
"Anytime you're playing the team that's supposed to be the best, you've got to take it to them," Kirkland said. "You've got to hit them in the mouth and show them you won't back down."
Said Flowers, "We decided to do our talking with our pads."
Kirkland popped running back Eddie George, then made sure he knew who hit him. Flowers mixed it up with guard Bruce Matthews. Tight end Mark Bruener scuffled with defensive end Jevon Kearse. Linebacker Earl Holmes sent tight end Frank Wycheck's saliva flying with a big hit. Ward drilled Mason on a kickoff return.
"They might have beaten us twice," cornerback Dewayne Washington said, "but I don't think they like playing us."
Washington grinned.
"I'd love to come down here and play them again in the playoffs."
Know this:
No such talk came from the other locker room.
Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
Cook: No time to cry after tough loss 
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