Steelers still trying to find right formula at wide receiver beyond George Pickens

Diontae Johnson’s start with the Carolina Panthers has been as smooth as a rusty razor blade.

Through two games, Johnson’s five receptions rank tied for No. 56 among NFL wide receivers. His 34 receiving yards are tied for No. 81.

Those stats, however, look worthy of the Hall of Fame when compared to the players tasked with replacing him in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense.

Van Jefferson has three catches for 15 yards. Calvin Austin has two catches for 13.

It’s safe to say neither candidate for the No. 2 receiver position would trade places with Johnson, who was dealt so the Steelers could acquire cornerback Donte Jackson. The Steelers, after all, have won both of their games, while the Panthers have lost by 37 and 23 points the past two weeks.

“We’re 2-0, and that’s what matters,” Austin said Wednesday. “We’ve done enough to be 2-0.”

The lack of a viable No. 2 wide receiver behind George Pickens hasn’t stopped the Steelers from opening with back-to-back road wins, something they last accomplished in 1999. Or getting off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2020.

The sample size is small, but under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and with backup Justin Fields at quarterback, the Steelers rank No. 30 in total yards and No. 26 in points scored. The offense has produced one touchdown and relied on Chris Boswell to kick eight field goals.

“It’s evolving,” said Jefferson, the top offseason addition at wide receiver. “There are a lot of things we can work on, get better at. We have to keep improving.”

Concerns about the receiving depth behind Pickens haven’t exactly eased as the Steelers prepare to face the 2-0 Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. Only three teams have fewer receptions or receiving yards than the Steelers.

Pickens has done his part, catching eight passes for 114 yards. But after leading the Steelers with six receptions for 85 yards in the season opener at Atlanta, he was limited to two catches for 29 yards at Denver. Penalties wiped out a 51-yard reception and a 6-yard touchdown catch. The second infraction came courtesy of Jefferson, who was called for pass interference.

“When you have a big play, you don’t want to negate it by having a penalty and having it come back,” Jefferson said. “We drove down the field, and it was a big play. It’s tough, but it’s mistakes we can learn from and clean up.”

The Steelers entered the season emphasizing the run, and they lead the league in rushing attempts. Fields has helped in that regard, but when he has dropped back to pass, he has leaned heavily on Pickens — to nobody’s surprise.

Pickens has been targeted 11 times in two games — more than Jefferson (five) and Austin (four) combined. The other receivers on the game-day roster — Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek — weren’t targeted in the first two weeks.

The belief is that as long as Pickens continues to draw double coverages, Jefferson and Austin will become bigger parts of the offense.

“That opens more opportunities for us,” Austin said. “It’s about us staying consistent and being there when the opportunity comes our way.”

Jefferson also is stressing patience. A few plays before he committed the penalty that negated Pickens’ touchdown, he drew pass interference on a deep throw from Fields that resulted in a 27-yard gain.

“Things are starting to open up for us,” Jefferson said. “You have to run the routes that are called and the plays that are called and execute them to the best of your ability. All of us just want to win. It’s only two weeks. Stuff will start clicking soon.”

The receivers also have been limited by the number of tight ends Smith likes to deploy. Only five teams have used fewer three-receiver formations than the Steelers. Smith has used multiple tight ends on nearly 58% of all offensive snaps, and the Steelers lead the league in number of three tight-end formations.

“Whoever gets the ball gets the ball,” Jefferson said. “There’s only one ball. It’s not like there are three or four out there. Whoever gets the ball, we’re trying to make plays. Whether the offense runs through the tight ends, receivers — whoever catches the ball makes the play.”

Help could arrive when rookie Roman Wilson is cleared to play after missing all of the preseason and early part of the season with an ankle injury. Wilson, though, was limited in practice Wednesday, an indication that his Steelers debut may have to wait a while.

Compounding the situation is the opponent this week. The Chargers have allowed the second-fewest yards and sixth-fewest passing yards while crafting their own 2-0 start.

Pickens, though, remains undeterred.

“We’re doing pretty good right now,” he said, “by winning.”