In his five NFL seasons, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson has had some big plays and big games.
None stands out more to him than the one-handed catch he made in the 2022 season opener on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals — and the overall game he had in the 23-20 overtime win in the first game of the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.
Appearing on the “Not Just Football With Cam Heyward” podcast Wednesday with teammate Cameron Heyward and co-host Hayden Walsh, Johnson spoke glowingly of the game and the play overall.
“That was the best play, and that was the best game right there,” Johnson said, recalling the catch and the game overall, according to video via the NFL on ESPN YouTube page. “That one-hand catch, the left hand on the sideline. I just stuck my hand up there, bro.
“And that ball stuck to my hand I came down with to be honest.”
It was a massive catch for the Steelers, which sparked the Steelers’ stagnant offense in the opener with new quarterback Mitch Trubisky as the starter.
Early in overtime, Johnson found himself against Cincinnati cornerback Chidobe Awuzie down the left sideline on the Steelers’ bench. The throw from Trubisky was rather good, and Johnson skied high and with his left hand plucked the ball out of the air for a gain of 25 yards.
Though officials initially ruled it an incomplete pass, the call on the field was overturned after review, making Johnson for an early candidate for catch of the year.
“He gave me a chance to make a play and I did,” Johnson said.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, Johnson’s catch was all off naught as the Steelers missed a field goal later in the drive, keeping things tied at 20-20. The Steelers bounced back from the missed field goal as Chris Boswell eventually drilled a 53-yard field goal to win the game.
On the afternoon, Johnson finished with seven catches for 55 yards. Though the stat line isn’t all that impressive compared to how he’s done in his career, Johnson is rather high on that game overall from his development standpoint. He played quite well with a new quarterback in Trubisky, making some huge plays for the Steelers in big spots.
