Early on in the fourth quarter Sunday at Acrisure Stadium, the Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves within striking distance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, trailing 17-10.
Then, two plays into a drive in which the Steelers were attempting to mount a game-tying drive, backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky — in the game for the injured Kenny Pickett — threw an ill-advised ball up the seam intended for Allen Robinson II. That led to an interception by Jacksonville safety Andrew Wingard, taking the air out of the stadium.
Shortly after the interception, Wingard and a host of Jaguars defenders ran to the end zone to celebrate and stole some Terrible Towels from fans, twirling them in celebration.
One player who saw the Jaguars’ celebration was Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson. After the 20-10 loss, Johnson had quite an eventful media session, ripping the officiating and then stating that he saw Wingard and the Jags’ celebration. He said that he wants to see the Jaguars again and get the “dub” after the Jags showed “disrespect” to the Steelers with the Terrible Towels stunt.
“It’s terrible. You don’t wanna see that like, ’cause you how good our fans are and what the energy they bring and feeling,” Johnson said to reporters after the game, according to video via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette YouTube page. “Like, they’re up a touchdown or wherever they was. Like, y’all not really doing anything. But I feel like that’s disrespect to us. At the end of the day, just gotta keep playing though.”
Asked if he wants to see the Jaguars again, Johnson responded quickly, even going as far as guaranteeing a win the next time around, should the Steelers see the Jaguars.
“For sure [I want to see them again]. For sure, I like the second time around. We’re going to really get that dub for real,” Johnson said.
The moment the Jaguars’ defense took the Terrible Towels from fans in the end zone and started twirling them in celebration, it seemingly solidified the dislike for the fans toward the Jaguars, who have been real thorns in the side of the Steelers on the North Shore for the last 15 years or so.
After all the talk through the media throughout between Jacksonville safety Rayshawn Jenkins and Steelers receiver George Pickens, and then Trevor Lawrence unknowingly sparking outrage with his “little yellow towels” comments late in the week, the game took on greater meaning. Jacksonville had a lot to say after the win, and rightfully so. The Jaguars took care of business.
But they showed some disrespect to the Steelers, their fans and the history of the towel with their little display on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully the curse of the towel is real, and the Jaguars experience the same fate that befell guys like T.J. Houshmandzadeh and LenDale White after they blatantly taunted and disrespected the Terrible Towel.
