PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Diontae Johnson believes he did indeed make the impact he discussed before the game last week as he returned from a Week One injury.
The five-year veteran had five catches for 79 yards (on six targets), 50 of those yards in the fourth quarter. It was bested only by George Pickens with 70 yards on three catches as each set up a pair of touchdown drives.
“We play off one another, like I always say,” Johnson said Thursday. “He make a play. I make a play. It’s like our little thing.”
“Once both of us are making plays, then everybody else starts making plays. You saw the offense got that spark we need.”
Johnson said he thought he and Pickens (5-107 yards) had a ‘great’ game and provided the spark.
“Coach T always talks about being an ‘A’ player, you need those ‘A’ players to step up and that’s what those ‘A’ players did on Sunday,” Johnson said. “You saw those big plays that we needed to turn the game around and we did.”
Now it’s about carrying that over into Sunday against Jacksonville. In yards against, they are the worst passing defense in the league, but the nine interceptions are second-best in the NFL. It might be a game where the passing may need to start fast to get a running game going against one of the best run-stopping defenses in football. It’s also about putting it together for more than just a couple of drives.
“Like Coach T says, it’s how you come off that bus walking into the stadium with that mindset,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a problem. We’re not perfect. It’s not like we are trying to come out there and not start fast. When you are here to play, how bad do you want it?”
“We want it bad, sometimes it might not seem like we do, but we do. We just got to put more effort into starting fast, showing it and putting it on film.”
He said that starts with a thorough knowledge of the game plan and having studied your opponent. When you are out there overthinking, not reacting because you know what’s coming, that’s when problems arise. Johnson said it’s just trusting in yourself and going out and making those plays.
No setbacks for his first game back Sunday against the Rams, although he admitted he was a little sore after playing 39 snaps on Sunday in his first game back.
“It felt good to show Steelers Nation what they were missing,” Johnson said. “I look forward to doing that on Sunday.”