Leeds coach Brian McDermott refused to use next week's World Club Challenge as an excuse for his side's below-par performance at Wigan.
Winger Josh Charnley scored a hat-trick of tries as the Warriors bounced back from their shock opening home defeat by Huddersfield with a clinical 20-6 destruction of the champions.
It was the Rhinos' first defeat since they lost to Wigan in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley last August and a setback ahead of next Friday's showdown with Australian champions Manly Sea Eagles.
"Whether we had the World Club Challenge next week or not, we were going to go head strong for this and try and build some momentum," said McDermott.
"We still needed to get two points so I don't think it had a bearing.
"We're certainly not panicking. We didn't get spanked. There are no huge problems.
"We were playing a team that lost their first game and who were in front of a big home crowd.
"Wigan were always going to be tough today. We talked about this being a 12-round world title fight and it had a feel to that. We just couldn't land enough punches."
Leeds trailed 12-0 at half-time thanks to Charnley's brace of tries and, although they hit back with a try from Darrell Griffin, they were sunk by Charnley's third on 66 minutes and McDermott had no complaints.
"I thought Wigan were good," he added. "They beat us to the ball, they beat us to the tackle, they beat us to the ground and they had a better kick chase, not by a huge margin.
"I didn't think we were massively poor but there were too many areas where we were off tonight.
"I wasn't excited by anybody's performance but I wouldn't say anybody was poor."
Leeds were without centre Kallum Watkins, hat-trick hero of their opening win over Hull KR, because of a wrist injury sustained in training but McDermott expects him to recover in time to face Manly and he will monitor the progress of winger Lee Smith after he went off today with a rib injury.
Wigan coach Shaun Wane was delighted with the way his side responded to their home defeat by the Giants.
"It was a big improvement," he said. "I'm very content tonight. I knew the players would respond and they have done.
"It's been a tough week. I couldn't wait for this game to come and neither could the players.
"Last week against Huddersfield, that wasn't us. Today we showed a lot of character, guts, enthusiasm and a lot of skill against a very talented Leeds team.
"It was all down to the work of our middle unit. When they run hard and bash people, it makes it very easy for the halves to play.
"It's about making sure we turn up with the same attitude against Bradford next week."
Wane gave a first start to 20-year-old centre Jack Hughes and a debut to 21-year-old prop Tom Spencer in the absence of George Carmont and Liam Farrell and he was delighted with their contributions.
"I thought Jack Hughes looked outstanding," he said. "He had a real solid game against a talented player in Carl Ablett.
"Tom Spencer enjoyed a taste of a big game. He's one for the future, he's a real good kid."
