Pittsburgh Steelers WR Diontae Johnson finally found the end zone on Thursday in Pittsburgh’s 20-16 win over the Tennessee Titans, his first time doing so since January 3, 2022. It was long overdue for Johnson, who was one of the team’s best receivers last year but just couldn’t find the end zone. It was the first time Johnson caught a touchdown with CB Levi Wallace a member of the Steelers, and Wallace, who remembers going up against Johnson when he was a member of the Buffalo Bills, expressed excitement to see a guy he used to “talk a lot of mess to” get on the board.
“We were all excited for him. Obviously, we’ll take any touchdown that we can get from anybody. It’s always good to see a guy that works hard the way that he does. I’ve been here for the last two years and me and him have a good relationship now, I remember when I was in Buffalo, we used to play Pittsburgh every year, me and him used to talk a lot of mess to each other, and now we’ve built a great relationship,” Wallace said on The GoJo And Golic show, with guest host Jason Fitz. “I’m always happy for a guy like that and seeing him get his first one yesterday was super dope. We knew it was coming, you can’t keep a guy that explosive out of the end zone out of the end zone for a long time,” Wallace added.
No matter who the player is you’re going up against, cornerbacks and wide receivers are going to be jawing at each other. When you’re in 1-on-1 matchups where it often comes down to skill on who’s going to win the matchup, players are going to be talking to each other. That was no different with Johnson and Wallace, who both broke into the league around the same time, with Wallace an undrafted free agent in 2018 and Johnson a third-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2019.
For Johnson, the touchdown was long overdue. He set a record in 2022 for most targets (144) without a touchdown, and he’s been Pittsburgh’s most productive receiver when he’s been healthy. Over the last three games, he has 20 receptions for 254 yards and a touchdown, and his ability to get open has been sorely needed in Pittsburgh’s offense. With QB Kenny Pickett struggling this season, the Steelers need a security blanket for him, especially with TE Pat Freiermuth banged up, and Johnson has proven that he can be that guy.
He still struggles with the occasional concentration drop, which has flared up over the past two games, but there’s no doubt that Johnson’s return from his hamstring injury has been a boost for Pittsburgh’s offense. There’s little doubt that he’s going to continue to be a playmaker and a guy that the Steelers turn to to try and help jumpstart their offense.
It’s cool to see the team as excited for him to finally get back into the end zone as they seem to be, regardless of position. By all accounts, Johnson is a tireless worker who’s always looking for ways to get better and improve his craft, and he could be due for a big rest of the season.
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