Diontae Johnson celebrates Steelers' return trip to Buffalo with go-ahead TD catch
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — When Diontae Johnson left the field in the first quarter Sunday, it was reminiscent of his previous visit to Highmark Stadium in December.
The difference was, Johnson left with an injury and not because he was benched for dropping too many passes.
The third-year wide receiver returned on the next series and caught the pivotal 5-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger in the fourth quarter that gave the Pittsburgh Steelers their first lead en route to a 23-16 victory against the Buffalo Bills.
“It was a big game for me,” said Johnson, who led the Steelers with five catches. “I had to bounce back from last year, but I was able to do that and make plays to help the team win.”
Johnson led all NFL wide receivers in dropped passes last season, and it became so frequent that coach Mike Tomlin benched Johnson after two drops in the first five minutes of the Steelers’ 26-15 loss. Johnson sat out the final 25 minutes of the half and didn’t return until the third quarter.
Johnson, though, was Roethlisberger’s favorite target Sunday. He had 10 passes thrown in his direction.
“He’s a phenomenal football player,” Roethlisberger said. “He’s a guy that is an incredible talent.”
Johnson had two catches for 20 yards in the first half while the Steelers struggled to extend drives against the Bills. He remained on the ground for several moments after hurting his knee on a 12-yard completion to JuJu Smith-Schuster. He returned the next time the Steelers had the ball.
“I just kind of got tied up in the play,” Johnson said. “My knee was a little banged up, but I’m fine.”
Johnson finished with a modest 36 yards receiving, the biggest five coming on his touchdown catch in the left corner of the end zone with 11:19 left to play. It provided a 13-10 lead.
“I told him to be patient because sometimes he can get impatient with the double move route, and he did,” Roethlisberger said. “His ball skills are through the roof.”
Johnson wasn’t fazed when cornerback Levi Wallace tipped the ball in the air. Johnson plucked it out of the air, then kept both feet in the end zone, dragging his trailing foot, for the score.
“It was just really concentration,” Johnson said. “Just keeping my eyes on the ball throughout the whole play and just making the play. … We just thought someone had to make a play, and I just stepped up to help the team.”
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Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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