Diontae Johnson sleptwalk through a costly Pittsburgh Steelers turnover early in Sunday’s AFC North matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The wide receiver dropped a potential touchdown catch in the first quarter. Steelers coaches will probably be far more furious over what happened on the next play.
Johnson stood in place after Kenny Pickett handed the ball to Jaylen Warren on a third-and-2 inside the red zone. When Warren fumbled, Johnson didn’t make any effort to retrieve the live ball right in front of him.
DJ Turner recovered the fumble for Cincinnati, and Johnson still didn’t run after the Bengals defender. Here’s a look at the baffling sequence:
Recovered by DJ Turner 👏#PITvsCIN | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/tNgkVZRLAe
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 26, 2023
The jarring play comes amid a tumultuous week for Johnson, who caught two of eight targets for 16 yards in last Sunday’s 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
According to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, Steelers lineman Broderick had to carry the wide receiver away from a sideline argument with a coach. That resulted in “a lengthy sideline talk” with head coach Mike Tomlin.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter later reported that Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt broke up a “heated argument” with Johnson and Steelers teammate Minkah Fitzpatrick in the locker room following Pittsburgh’s Week 11 loss.
Since those incidents, the Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Fans hoping the change would light a fire under the 28th-ranked offense won’t love what they’ve seen Sunday.
The Steelers have moved the ball better than usual. However, the fumble cost them a key chance at points.
After winning close games despite getting outgained all season, they now trail the Bengals 7-3 with 178 total yards.