FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – The New England Patriots got their wish: They won’t have to hear about their record-breaking streak any more.

The Patriots’ 21-game winning streak ended with a 34-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Now, for the first time in more than a year, New England is back to work trying to turn things around.

“It’s not something I think we want to get used to,” tight end Christian Fauria said Monday. “Nothing good comes out of losing. There’s winning and then there’s complete misery. I don’t think there’s any gray area.”

The Patriots’ previous loss was Sept. 28, 2003, to the Washington Redskins. New England won their last 12 games of the 03 regular season, three more in the playoffs en route to their second NFL title in three years, and their first six this season.

That set records for most regular season wins (previous record 17) and most wins overall (18).

All along, though, the Patriots maintained that they never looked behind or ahead than the game the had just played, or were about to.

Even though they knew they would lose sooner or later, “It wasn’t one of those things where I was waiting for it to happen,” Fauria said.

“People in my building where I live, they’re overreacting,” safety Rodney Harrison said. “They saw my wife coming, they’re like, Oh, it’s so terrible.’ We’ve got to keep it in perspective. It’s one loss. We’ve got nine games left. What do you do? You can’t just fold your tent and quit. I’m not going to. And I know none of these guys are.”

But even in the Patriots’ locker room the mood was somber on Monday, with the usually active backgammon and dominoes sets idle on a table and few players at their stalls. Receiver Bethel Johnson insisted no one on the team was overly distressed.

“You see any frowns around here?” he asked.

When it was suggested that, with the locker room virtually empty, players might be avoiding reporters, he said, “They aren’t hiding, they’re in the weight room, lifting.”

“They know what has to be done,” he said. “It’s not like we haven’t been here before.”

Coach Bill Belichick said he won’t treat this week any differently than any other; look at the things that need fixing and try to fix them, just as he tries to build on the things the Patriots did right, “which won’t take long.”

“We try to keep it as consistent as we can,” he said. “If you think that yesterday’s performance was good enough to go out and win a bunch more games, then we will leave it the way it is. If we don’t we will try to improve it.”

Part of the problem was injuries to Corey Dillon, Ty Law and Deion Branch.

Dillon was averaging more than 100 yards per game, but he was scratched before the game with a thigh injury. Law, an All-Pro cornerback, left after slipping on the turf during Pittsburgh’s 21-point first quarter with an unspecified left foot injury and didn’t return.

Branch hasn’t played since Week 2 because of a knee injury.

The Patriots also were without right tackle Tom Ashworth (back), who was replaced by Brandon Gorin.

Belichick does not provide information on injuries before he is required to do so by the league on Wednesdays. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi noted that the Patriots had key injuries last year, too, and they went on to win the Super Bowl.

“We’ve been through so much as a unit,” he said. “Whoever goes down, we feel like whoever comes in can do the job, because that’s what we’ve done in the past.