Biggest takeaways from Steelers win vs Browns bring hope and despair

Diontae Johnson was a train wreck

It’s been so hard not to get visibly frustrated with the performance of Diontae Johnson this season. After raking in a rich new deal in free agency last offseason, Johnson has been one of the least efficient receivers in the league, and his performance against the Browns was the icing on the cake.

I could get over Johnson’s first drop after he had an impressive 32-yard catch-and-run play on the opening drive. However, the inconsistencies ensued all game long and he let the ball slip through his grasp a few more times. By the end of the game, Johnson reeled in just 2 of 10 targets for 38 yards. He made history in a bad way by being the most targeted receiver to never catch a touchdown pass in a single season.

George Pickens continues to be the team’s best receiver

Apparently, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the only ones unaware of who the team’s best receiver is. While Pickett has found good success targeting Pat Freiermuth, George Pickens has been the most efficient receiver on the team by most metrics. In fact, both Pickett and Trubisky have combined for over a 100 passer rating when throwing to him this year.

This proved to be the case once again. In the season finale against the Browns, Pittsburgh’s stud rookie recorded 72 yards and a touchdown on 6 targets. He also had a thoroughly impressive catch that was ruled out of bounds and Tomlin elected not to challenge it. There is little doubt that the 21-year-old will be Pittsburgh’s go-to option in the 2023 season.