One of the lingering disappointments of the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers season was that WR Diontae Johnson did not find the end zone a single time. Despite averaging over 10 yards per reception and pulling in 86 catches, Johnson failed to score a touchdown for the first time in his four-year career.
So when QB Kenny Pickett appeared on Monday’s episode of DT Connor Heyward’s show, Not Just Football, Heyward asked Pickett point-blank what needed to change in 2023 to fix that.
“I think it’s kind of both ways,” Pickett said. “We’re going to get him the ball, he’s going to do his thing. I think it was… we had some bad luck. I mean, he was out of the end zone, he had one foot in I think two times. It’s just one of those things. I’m excited for him to have a big year. He is going to have a bounce-back year. I know he is putting a lot of work in.”
One could argue that the Steelers’ offense had bad luck in 2022 due to the instability at the QB position. During the offseason, Pittsburgh signed QB Mitch Trubisky from the Buffalo Bills. Trubisky was the starter for Week One after spending training camp getting the lion’s share of the reps with the first-team offense. Trubisky started the first four games of the season but was benched at halftime of the Steelers’ Week Four loss to the New York Jets.
That meant the entire offseason preparation for Trubisky to start 2022 was thrown out the window and the entire offense had to be switched up for a rookie to start Week Five in Pickett. However, that transition was not smooth thanks in part to a concussion sustained by Pickett in Week Six and then again in Week 13 against the Baltimore Ravens, which also kept him out of the following week.
That level of change will affect almost any receiver in the NFL. Perhaps what further heightened the lack of touchdowns was just how good Johnson was in 2021. He had 107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns. He also had 59 receptions pick up a first down. Every single number dropped, some more precipitously than others, in 2022. He had 86 receptions for 882 yards, no touchdowns, and he picked up 45 first downs through the air. His longest reception of the season was 37 yards, the lowest of his career. Johnson also had the lowest yards after the catch per reception of his career with 2.7.
Despite the drop in statistical numbers, Johnson does remain one of the best route runners in the game. For a full breakdown of Johnson’s ability as a route runner, check out Alex Kozora’s piece on the ‘misunderstood player.’
Going into Week One against the San Francisco 49ers, there is no question Pickett will be the starting quarterback. It’s his first full offseason in the NFL, and that should greatly help his growth. He’s not being put into a game in Week Four at halftime. That comfort level should improve communication among the offensive players on the field, which can clean up some of those close calls and bad luck. Also, Pickett should be more familiar with the playbook and perhaps have a bigger playbook than last year.
That expanded playbook might even help address some of the issues that Johnson faced as well, allowing him to pick up more yards after the catch and get back close to his career average, which is a lot closer to 5.0 yards after the catch per reception. That should also certainly help Johnson and the Steelers offense find the end zone with far more regularity.
You can check out the entirety of Heyward’s show with Pickett as well as AEW wrestler (and Punxsutawney, Pa. native) Dr. Britt Baker or watch it below.
