It had been a long time since WR Diontae Johnson scored a touchdown, 655 days to be exact. Johnson knew the number, having dealt with a ton of frustration and emotions leading up to finally reaching pay dirt for the first time in nearly two years.
QB Kenny Pickett was stoked to see his friend and teammate break his touchdown drought, telling the media following a 20-16 win that the Steelers made it a priority to try and end that a dubious streak against the Tennessee Titans.
“It was awesome,” Pickett said to the media via video from the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “Obviously, it was a big deal to get him in the end zone. It’s been too long, for sure. So, to see that smile on his face after that was great and I’m sure it felt like the world was off his back now so he can go relax and play and continue to be the guy that he is for us.”
Johnson’s last touchdown came in the Steelers’ last playoff game, their AFC Wild Card loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021. His last regular-season touchdown came in Week 17 of the same season, kicking off what would be a frustrating 2022 season for the veteran wide receiver. Johnson set an NFL record for most receptions in a season without a touchdown, ending the year with 86 grabs for 882 yards and zero scores. It was an anomaly for a receiver to see 147 targets and catch 86 balls and not reach the end zone. That streak continued into 2023. Johnson exited early in Week One against the San Francisco 49ers with a hamstring injury that landed him on IR, returning to play in the previous two games, but could not get a score.
However, Johnson managed to get the touchdown that Pittsburgh needed most, the go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory and put the Steelers at 5-3 on the year. Johnson played great in the game, catching seven passes for 90 yards and the score on nine targets, performing more like the Pro Bowl version we saw back in 2021. Everyone was elated to see Johnson take the proverbial monkey off his back, including Johnson. He looked relieved to finally have the touchdown curse behind him and will now look to continue making a big impact in Pittsburgh’s passing game. He has stepped up in a big way with WR George Pickens being relatively quiet the last two games helping Pittsburgh as it looks to stack more wins and stay in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
