When the Pittsburgh Steelers were plotting their dream offseason as they looked to move off from Ben Roethlisberger, chances are, they didn’t see themselves starting 1-3 this season. Addressing the quarterback position was easily deemed as their most important need to fill, and they did so by quickly signing Mitchell Trubisky to a two-year, $14.2 million contract while also adding Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
We saw the plug pulled on Trubisky after halftime of Pittsburgh’s Week 4 loss, giving Pickett a chance to make his rookie debut. Still, it didn’t matter, the Steelers lost their third consecutive game.
After the game, Diontae Johnson, the Steelers’ leading receiver in each of the past two seasons, opened up about the current mood coming out of the locker room in Pittsburgh.
“Obviously, it’s a rebuilding year. We can’t use that as an excuse. It doesn’t matter who is at quarterback or any position. It’s our job to get it done and win games. That’s what we have to do — win.”
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson on team’s current state
After tallying 1,161 receiving yards on 107 receptions a season ago, Johnson has amassed 207 receiving yards on 23 receptions through four weeks this season. He’s on pace for just 881 yards. But what’s most interesting is that the Steelers were also 1-3 at this point last season and had no backup plan. It was Big Ben or bust. That isn’t the case this year.
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While he’s upset, Diontae Johnson believes in Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers’ direction
After making the change from Trubisky to Pickett, the Steelers went on a 14-0 run to take the lead over the New York Jets. However, it would not last.
Pickett was able to move the chains, making the offense more efficient than Trubisky was able to, but it didn’t come without mistakes.
In his first taste of NFL action, Pickett threw three interceptions. Two went through his receiver’s hands and or were bobbled, and the other was on a deep shot downfield in what was essentially a 50-50 ball. Obviously, it doesn’t matter. A turnover is a turnover, and Pickett will have to learn to be better.
Pickett did however add two rushing scores and at least one of his receivers appreciated the boost the young QB brought to the offense on Sunday.
“They brought in Kenny, so we’re going to roll with him. We can move forward, get ready for next week and get Kenny ready for next week, as well. That’s all we can do. It gave us a spark, what we needed. We weren’t moving the ball as well. Well, we were moving the ball, but I felt like when he came in, we were more efficient and you could see it in his energy. He played with swag. You could see it. That makes us want to play for him, too. We have to continue to get him better and prepare for next week and get this W.”
Diontae Johnson on Kenny Pickett changing the game’s vibe
Looking to avoid a 1-4 start, the Steelers take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 for a matchup that just might feature their toughest opponent yet. If Pickett is under center, it’s clear he’ll have the support of his teammates, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee a better outcome. We’ll see what happens on game day, but if another loss gets posted, it would be tough to disagree with Johnson’s take that his team is rebuilding, even if it’s not what Steelers fans want to hear.
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