Diontae Johnson couldn’t help but look up twice. He lifted his head and extended out his arms at the 4:02 mark in the fourth quarter. Then did the same celebration without his helmet while on the Pittsburgh Steelers sideline during Thursday Night Football.
The reason behind the moment? Johnson not only scored the eventual go-head touchdown to seal the 20-16 win over the Tennessee Titans, but he ended a personal curse on his end.
When Was the Last Time Diontae Johnson Scored in an NFL Game?
Johnson’s three-yard touchdown from quarterback Kenny Pickett ended an astonishing 668 days that he hadn’t scored in a game.
The go-ahead touchdown caught by #Steelers WR Diontae Johnson was his first one in…668 days 😳 pic.twitter.com/XcmOPlvgiN
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 3, 2023
Johnson’s last touchdown came on Wild Card Weekend of the 2021 season in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. That also happened to be Ben Roethlisberger’s last game in the NFL.
Entering this contest, Johnson, obviously, had one of the worst receptions per TD rate, despite catching 107 passes and eight touchdowns in his Pro Bowl campaign two seasons ago.
Relief for Diontae Johnson!
Heading into tonight's game, Johnson had no touchdowns on 7 receptions in the red zone since the 2022 season — tied for worst Receptions Per TD rate of 72 qualified NFL WRs (via @IE_NFL). pic.twitter.com/aih2AYHxAg
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 3, 2023
The reactions, thus, were strong for the 2021 Pro Bowler after the game.
Johnson ‘Breaks the Curse’
Fans couldn’t help but be relieved for the Steelers wideout.
“Diontae Johnson breaks the curse!” said the fan account Blitzburgh on X.
“Diontae Johnson can finally breathe a sigh of relief,” added NFL reporter for the 33rd Team Ari Meirov.
Steeler fans couldn’t help but be happy for Johnson after the win. Even Pittsburgh sports anchor Emily Giangreco praised the Steeler WR.
“No one deserves this more than him,” Giangreco shared on X.
What Was Johnson’s Reaction After Breaking His Personal Skid?
Johnson ended his game with seven receptions, 90 yards, the game-sealing touchdown, and earning Player of the Game honors by PFN.
The PFN Player of the Game Award goes to #Steelers WR Diontae Johnson 💪
➡ 9 targets
➡ 7 receptions
➡ 90 yards
➡ 1 touchdown#TENvsPIT | #TNFonPrime pic.twitter.com/DEqRKu9z2I— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 3, 2023
The biggest question among Steelers fans and NFL followers, though, was just how relieved was Johnson to finally reach the end zone.
“Oh yeah,” Johnson answered right away if his touchdown was a huge weight off his shoulders. “I’m happy I was able to get into the end zone today.”
And was he aware of how long it’s been since he last scored?
“I’ve seen it on Twitter today,” Johnson explained. “And I’m like, ‘It’s really been that long?’ But I’m happy that I got into the end zone and looking forward to get into the end zone next week.”
He even admitted his celebration was along the lines of being caught in the moment.
“I actually didn’t know what I was going to do, to be honest, once I scored,” Johnson said. “I was just trying to get hyped with my teammates.”
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He does admit that going that long without getting six was a character builder for him.
“It was tough. But it was just how I carried myself each and every day — not trying to think about it. But at the same time, trying to figure out ways to do something different with certain routes or whatever,” Johnson said. “I pressed each and every week with just letting the ball finally come and just keep getting open.”
Last season, Johnson caught 86 passes for 882 yards in starting all 17 games. But he didn’t cross the end zone, and he had been dealing with a bad hamstring that’s limited him to three starts in 2023.
But the 668-day streak ends for Johnson. As for his head coach Mike Tomlin, not once did he see a frustrated wide receiver. Instead, he saw a continuous worker who constantly showed up.
“We just work week in and week out. That’s not weight he totes into each stadium,” Tomlin said to reporters. “He just wants to be a significant component into what we do and why we’re successful, which was what he was today.”
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