Shannon Sharpe Blasted Steelers' Diontae Johnson's Lack Of Effort In Week 12

It's been an interesting month for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Along the way, there's been some drama in multiple facets. First, it was wide receiver George Pickens that was drawing the headlines for his antics. Recently, it's been veteran running mate Diontae Johnson. That continued on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, which included a play that didn't look great off first look.

Johnson failed to maintain control of the football as he went to the ground, which led the refs to calling it incomplete. Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin should have challenged the play, as CBS rules expert Gene Steratore thought it would have been overturned. Well, the next play showed Johnson giving minimal effort, including when the Bengals recovered a fumble and ran past him. On Sunday night after the Week 12 contests concluded, former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe bashed Johnson on his show Nightcap.

"Diontae Johnson, bro, you drop a touchdown and then you walk off the ball. The ball is fumbled and you do nothing? Man, **** no! It's a bad look because you're complaining about the ball, you dropped the touchdown on the play before, and then you walk off the ball. Walking off the ball is bad enough, but then the ball popped out and you don't even chase. You can't do that," Sharpe said.

After the game, Johnson clarified that he didn't see the fumble and/or was busy blocking. Not many people bought that explanation, as he was hardly blocking in the first place. The frustration on the play likely stemmed from not getting a touchdown for the prior play, which he deserved. Still, he took blame for it on social media afterwards by saying he should have maintained possession to the ground.

Several people have called out Johnson, including former Steelers safety Ryan Clark on Monday morning. While the team sits at 7-4, they have oftentimes lacked discipline throughout the 2023 season. Just a week ago, Johnson got into it on the sidelines with Tomlin. Then, teammates had to separate him and Minkah Fitzpatrick's argument in the locker room. He was coming off yet another disappointing performance, which probably led to the frustration for Johnson. 

Should The Steelers Be Concerned With Johnson's Recent Actions?

This play was no different in terms of the team's lack of discipline, as the Bengals not only recovered the fumble, but they proceed to run around Johnson and gain some yardage. The Steelers ended up getting the victory, so this didn't become nearly as big of a deal as if they would have lost. Winning typically cures things like that. Tomlin continues to put together one of his best coaching jobs that he's done in Pittsburgh. 

Somehow, the team is safely in the playoffs right now, and they have three relatively "easy" opponents coming up. Johnson was able to somewhat bounce back, finishing the day with four catches for 50 yards. After just three catches in the two previous games combined, it was nice to see the talented playmaker gain back some sort of rhythm. Overall, the offense as a whole looked better. 

Quarterback Kenny Pickett was firing downfield and even using the middle of the field. Matt Canada is no longer in the fold, which many attributed as the main factor as to why the offense did better in Week 12. The Steelers did a better job of getting the ball into the hands of their playmakers. Still, it'll be important for Tomlin and his staff to control Johnson and Pickens' emotions for the rest of the season.

What were your initial thoughts on the lack of effort from Johnson? What did you think of his postgame explanation for the play? How confident are you in this offense for the rest of the season? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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