The Pittsburgh Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada last week, and on Sunday, the team outgained an opponent for the first time all season, putting up 400-plus yards for the first time since 2020. As a result, NBC Sports’ Peter King named co-offensive coordinators Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan his coaches of the week in his Football Morning In America column.
“The Steelers broke a 58-game streak of offensive futility, gaining over 400 yards (421) for the first time since week two of 2020 in the 16-10 win at Cincinnati in the first game after the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Sullivan called the plays; Faulkner rode herd over organizing this week’s game plan. Though he didn’t throw a touchdown pass, this was a productive day for Kenny Pickett after a few unproductive ones; he threw for 278 yards and completed 73 percent of his throws,” King wrote.
While the offense looked good and played its best game of the season, it still wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. The play that’s probably being talked about the most isn’t Najee Harris’ five-yard touchdown run or Trenton Thompson’s interception. Instead, it’s wide receiver Diontae Johnson’s effort, or lack thereof, on a fumble by RB Jaylen Warren. Johnson made zero effort to block his receiver or recover the fumble, and it’s leading King to question how long the Steelers are going to put up with it.
“I think at some point soon—if it isn’t happening right now—the Steelers are going to have to ask themselves: Are the dogging-it and drops by Diontae Johnson really worth the trouble?” King pondered in the Ten Things I Think I Think section of his column.
Next season, Johnson doesn’t have any guaranteed salary, per Over the Cap, so the Steelers could conceivably move on after this season. It doesn’t feel like a move they would make though, but if Johnson’s attitude issues persist, they might have no choice.
The takeaway from the win shouldn’t be the play that Johnson dogged it on, though. It should be that the offense looked the best it has all season, Pickett played his best game of the season, and the Steelers won to move to 7-4. King rightly gave Sullivan and Faulkner their props, and now the challenge is going to be continuing to build on offense and make this offense a threat. Four-hundred twenty-one yards is great, 16 points is less than ideal. If this offense can begin to start scoring 20-plus points consistently, the Steelers have the potential to become a real contender in the AFC.
The production of Johnson is going to be a big part of that. It’s why he can’t let himself get frustrated and let his team down. He’s a key player for this team and a weapon opposite George Pickens. Hopefully, his attitude and effort on the one play Sunday were just a blip after a week of frustration and not something that builds over the season, because the Steelers need Johnson to be productive and not be a distraction.
The Steelers’ next chance to build off their good offensive day will be on Sunday when they host the 2-10 Arizona Cardinals.
