The Pittsburgh Steelers season is coming off the rails, if it hasn’t already. Things reached the lowest of lows on Sunday, as the Buffalo Bills routed them 38-3. It was rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett’s first career start, but the offense still failed to put points on the board.
Steelers' Kenny Pickett works with quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan in preparation for the Buffalo Bills. | Credit: Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers
With the team being down the whole game, Pickett ended up throwing for 327 yards. Fans have become quite restless, as the Steelers face its first below-.500 team in head coach Mike Tomlin's tenure. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson spoke to the media on Monday and via Josh Rowntree of 93.7 The Fan, he provided a message for fans.
Diontae Johnson on fan criticism: “Ya’ll are watching us at the end of the day.
— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) October 10, 2022
Adds, “if ya’ll are so good, come out here and help us.” #Steelers @937theFan
That certainly won't help Johnson win over any more fans. After receiving a pricey contract extension in the offseason, the team's top wideout has been a bit inconsistent in the first five games. It is important to note that this is just a small part of his lengthy quote on the fans. He thanked them, showing appreciation for a majority of his response. Rowntree provided the full quote, which should help clear the air a little bit.
Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark, who appears on ESPN regularly, has provided a ton of criticism after Sunday's loss to drop the team to 1-4. He specifically questioned the team's effort, saying the only guy he'd want to play with right now would be the rookie quarterback, Pickett. The star wide receiver was asked about Clark's comments, and via ESPN team reporter Brooke Pryor, Johnson said this:
"I'm not worried about RC [Ryan Clark], man. He played here, he know how the Steelers play. If he wanna come play, he can come help us win if he got so much to say. Other than that, I’m going to keep playing football and worry about me and my team."
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Clark followed up with a tweet that Johnson has since blocked him. Fans are frustrated. Players are frustrated. Coaches are frustrated. Former players are frustrated. It's becoming quite the scene in Pittsburgh and now, it's on coach Tomlin to keep this team afloat for the rest of the season.
What do you guys think about these comments from Johnson? What are your thoughts on his play so far this year? Is Ryan Clark completely in line with his comments, or should he hold back a bit? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!
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