A receiver who drops a pass doesn’t automatically have bad hands. Believe it or not, there’s multiple reasons why a receiver drops the easy ones. For Pittsburgh Steelers WR Diontae Johnson, his issue, as he tells it, had nothing to do with “bad hands.” It was a cluttered mind.
Joining Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast Tuesday, Johnson discussed his difficult 2020 season that was defined by ugly drops and mental mistakes. He blames those issues on overthinking and pressing instead of focusing on the details.
“That’s what I was doing a lot,” Johnson told Heyward and the show. “Overthinking, playing too fast. Trying to make a move before I look the ball in. Year Five, I’m more comfortable. I’ve been in those positions before. If I was to drop the ball, I know how to handle that.”
Drop numbers vary, depending on the outlet, but according to Pro Football Reference, Johnson was charged for 13 drops over the course of that season, a nine-percent drop rate. Failing to look the ball in has been something we’ve cited about his game, leading to drops. Johnson is a YAC receiver who sometimes can press so quickly to get upfield that he loses sight of the ball. Once mistakes start to add up, players feel that pressure, and he’s someone who has been prone to stacking bad plays and getting into slumps.
Johnson credited assistant equipment manager Lou Balde for helping him break out of his funk that season. The two began their now-daily catching routine before the start of each practice, something we noted during the 2021 training camp. The results have paid off. Since that miserable 2020 year, Johnson’s drops have been reduced. He had five in 2021 and seven in 2022, 3.0- and 4.8-drop percentages respectively.
Johnson will get back on the football field this weekend, his first game back after injuring his hamstring in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. It’s a big boost to a Steelers offense that needs it with a struggling passing game and unit unable to put points on the board.
Check out the whole episode of Heyward’s latest show below.
