PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Thrilled to catch his 400th touchdown pass, Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson is behind Ben Roethlisberger. He doesn’t think Ben is playing as bad as you might think.
“I feel like he’s been playing great,” Johnson said Wednesday. “He’s going to have a couple of bad throws. It’s football. The best of the best are going to do that. I see past that because at the end of the day that is my quarterback.”
“I will always have his back. I will still go out there & make plays for him to make him look good.”
Johnson targeted 144 times by Roethlisberger last season. Even though he missed a game this year, Johnson targeted the most this season as well. The 25-year-old has the second most receptions, three behind Najee Harris, and the most receiving yards and touchdowns.
The third year receiver downplayed that he’s Ben’s favorite receiver. Said it’s about getting a win and he says Roethlisberger is still the best QB to do that for the Steelers.
“The way I see him practice,” Johnson said of his belief in Roethlisberger. “They (doubters) from the outside looking in. They don’t know what we are doing each day. The hard work he puts in. We just have to shut out the noise & just focus on us. We are going to bounce back.”
The former Toledo star said it’s about how you respond to losses, as much as the losses themselves. The receivers are working with Ben on and off the field to improve the chemistry and more importantly the execution.
“Just keep going over the play until you get it down, until the timing is right,” Johnson said. “On to the next play, same for that play as well. Just keep going and keep believing the play is going to work no matter what.”
Johnson is coming back from a knee injury suffered in the final play of the Raiders loss when the team had no chance to come back to win.
“It’s football,” Johnson said. “It comes down to the coach’s decision on what he wants to do. I just go out there and do what I am supposed to do. That’s what I did. Unfortunately, a freak injury happened. I’m back now.”
“That’s all I’m focused on is getting ready for this week and executing on Sunday.”
Steelers host Denver at 1p, a stretch of four of the next five games at home.
“We just got to win,” Johnson said. “Get out of this little hole we are in. Come together and find out what is going on. We are going to do that this week. We are going to be fine.”