The Steelers‘ night was bad across the board after that loss to the Bucs. Early miscues, choppy rhythm, lack of physicality, or even effort. But the fans reached the breaking point after Christian Kuntz went down with what seemed to be a chest injury. But then Mike Tomlin stepped to the mic and gave Pittsburgh a little air.

Postgame, Tomlin uttered a few words that might just make the Steelers fans be able to sleep tonight. Asked about Kuntz, he said the team got “good news” on the injury. Well, at least he thinks they did. And that might just be the only good thing to come out of tonight’s game against the Bucs.

Because the way he went down? You’d think he’d be out for months. Kuntz made the tackle on a Tez Johnson return in the first quarter, went straight to the blue tent, and then to the locker room with the jersey off. With him out, the Steelers had to turn to defensive lineman Logan Lee to handle long-snapping duties. It did not look good. At all. So, Tomlin’s positive update? That’s big.

Why did Kuntz’s injury feel like a punch to the gut? Because he’s one of those guys you never have to think about. Seventeen games last year, every punt and kick on the money, no drama. He’s the reason Boswell’s mechanics stay clean and Harvin doesn’t panic. You don’t notice a long snapper until you have to.

The loss would’ve been absolutely massive. Because special teams are basically a timing symphony. One snap off the mark can spiral into a blocked kick, a shanked punt, flipped field position. And in preseason, there’d be evaluation chaos. That’s why Tomlin’s “good news” landed so heavy after a 17–14 loss where every inch felt like the difference.

Having Christian Kuntz out there keeps the whole operation in place. Boswell’s rhythm, plus the two punters battling for jobs. (Cameron Johnston and Corliss Waitman split six punts, with Johnston also pulling holder duty.) Even with the shuffle mid-game, the specialists held their ground: six punts netted at 50.2 yards, and the PAT unit stayed clean.

But Christian Kuntz’s positive update doesn’t take away the disaster that was this night for the Steelers‘ fans.

The good news doesn’t nullify the poor display vs Bucs

Tonight wasn’t just about a special teams scare. The defense had its own share of bruises. The secondary in particular got leaned on early, with Teddy Bridgewater carving them up for two first-quarter TDs. He finished 10-of-15 for 121 yards and those two scores, and by the end of the night Pittsburgh had given up 199 through the air without forcing a single takeaway.

The early avalanche pretty much set the script for the game. The Bucs jumped out 14–0 before Pittsburgh even caught its breath. Both Bridgewater strikes landed in the first quarter, and by then Tampa had a 14–7 edge that carried the rest of the way. Final tally: 17–14, Bucs.

Sure, Mason Rudolph punched back with a first-quarter TD to Brandon Johnson, but Tampa’s secondary swung the game by winning the turnover battle. Three picks, yes. Including one from Zyon McCollum, while Pittsburgh’s defense came up empty.

There were a few bright spots, yes. Run fits got cleaner, and the pass rush showed up (one sack, eight tackles for loss). But Tampa kept getting short fields, thanks to special-teams swings, and that left Pittsburgh’s defense playing on its heels most of the night. Mike Tomlin needs to figure this out.