The Steelers need Diontae Johnson — and the rookie receiver just might have the goods to deliver.
Johnson, the Steelers' third-round pick (No. 66 overall) in 2019, ranks third on the team in both receptions (20) and yards (212) and is tied for the team lead with two touchdowns through six games.
They're not staggering numbers. But then, nobody is lighting it up on this Steelers offense right now. JuJu Smith-Schuster leads the team in yards with 340, while James Conner — yes, the Steelers' starting running back — leads the way with 26 receptions.
This team hasn't found its groove or established its identity offensively, largely because of turmoil at quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger went down halfway through the team's Week 2 loss to the Seahawks and required season-ending elbow surgery. Second-year quarterback Mason Rudolph took over but was knocked out in the Steelers' Week 6 loss to the Ravens, leaving undrafted rookie Devlin Hodges as the starting quarterback for the team's Week 7 contest against the Chargers.
None of that is great for a receiver — and the stats certainly bear it out.
But to his credit, Johnson's shown chemistry with every quarterback that's stepped under center. And with Rudolph returning from injury ahead of the team's Week 8 showdown Oct. 28 vs. the Dolphins on Monday Night Football at Heinz Field, Johnson's feeling particularly confident.
"[Rudolph is] just going to keep getting better," Johnson was telling me at the Rooney Complex. "I feel good either with him or Duck [Hodges] in there. It really doesn't matter."
The tape supports him. Johnson's flashed big-play ability with Rudolph slinging it:
And he's shown timing and chemistry in limited reps with Hodges:
Now, it's about improving and consistently showcasing these abilities on a weekly basis. With Rudolph returning from his concussion and the Steelers facing the league-worst Dolphins (0-6) now could be the time for this offense to open up and to find its rhythm. On average, the Dolphins are allowing 35.2 points, 417.3 yards of total offense (256.3 through the air) and an opposing quarterback rating of 127.9 this season. They've generated just one interception (tied for last) and seven sacks (tied for 30th) to this point.
They're bad — and Rudolph certainly wants to take advantage of that fact.
"I want to take the ball down the field, push the ball down the field and take shots," Rudolph was saying at his locker this week at the Rooney Complex.
Rudolph continually mentioned his "aggressive" style, saying he won't be shy when returning to the field Monday night, despite the scary nature of the hit he took against the Ravens. If his words hold true, Johnson stands to become a primary beneficiary.
Johnson, much like — hold your breath — Antonio Brown before him, is a small, shifty receiver who beats defenders with exceptional footwork and precise routes. He's elusive with the ball in his hands, too, making him a threat to break a play open after the catch. Here, he shakes Richard Sherman before wriggling downfield for a crucial third-down conversion against the 49ers:
Joe Haden summarized Johnson's skill set best earlier this year.
“He has some stuff with him as far as being quick-twitch and being able to stop and start that’s special,” Joe Haden was saying of Johnson before the team's Week 3 matchup vs. the 49ers, when Johnson scored on a 39-yard bomb. “I think that his route running is very, very good. So I’ve just been trying to work my releases against him, work my press technique and [just] working that because I think he has the best releases and is the quickest off the line on our team.
“Me just getting that work with him, I think is helpful.”
For Johnson, though, it all comes down to his personal progression. As a rookie, the learning curve is steep. Steelers rookie receivers, in particular, struggle. But Johnson has an opportunity as a starter opposite Smith-Schuster. Even better, the Steelers offense is getting Rudolph back, it's coming off its best rushing performance of the season against the Chargers and the Dolphins are up next. That's a solid trifecta.
Then, go ahead and sprinkle this on top:
"It's easy to me now," Johnson said of the adjustment to the NFL and the Steelers' system when I asked him at his locker inside the Rooney Complex. "Coming in, I didn't really have that much confidence, like, learning plays; [once] I got out I didn't really feel great being out there. As the [days] went on, I started getting better picking up the little cues and stuff like that. Now it just comes naturally to me, like I know what I'm doing. I don't gotta overthink out there."
Terrell Edmunds agrees.
"He's coming along, looking good out there, making some plays," Edmunds was telling me of Johnson. "We just need him all season to make more plays. And we're going to have his back on defense to keep it going."
And while the tape has shown flashes, the consistency hasn't been there for Johnson or for the Steelers offense as a whole. That, however, is coming, according to Johnson.
"I've shown a lot, shown I can make plays with the ball in my hands, shown that I know what I'm doing at all times," Johnson added. "[I'm] able to play punt returner, as well, whenever Coach [Danny Smith] needs me back there and whatnot. But I've been playing pretty good. There's more to come, [and] I'm looking forward to it."
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
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Steelers practice, Rooney Sports Complex, Oct. 23, 2019 -- MATT SUNDAY / DKPS[/caption]
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