The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2023 season has been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, bizarre wins, and crushing losses. One of those crushing losses came in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland. It is not unusual for players to be emotional, even angry after a loss like that 13-10 one. While many don't hide their emotions well, it is not uncommon for the frustrated players to engage in chippy behavior with the other team as the game winds down. What is uncommon is for teammates to turn on each other in the throws of their aggravation. That is exactly what happened with Steelers wide receiver, Diontae Johnson, and safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick. The two nearly came to blows and had to be separated by some of the team leaders including captain Cameron Heyward. Now Heyward is sharing his perception of what happened after that game.
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Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is part of the backbone of the defense.
The game felt like a trap game and it turned out to be exactly that. The Browns' high-paid quarterback Deshaun Watson was out after a season-ending shoulder injury and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson got the call. By all accounts, the Steelers should have been able to win the game.
Pittsburgh's defense was able to hold the Browns to a meager 13 points, but it just wasn't enough. The Steelers offense was unable to move the ball. They were 3-of-14 on third downs. The top-shelf Browns defense gave quarterback Kenny Pickett everything they had and he was unable to pull off one of his miraculous fourth quarter comebacks. Pittsburgh's defense ensured that the Steelers got the ball back twice in the final five minutes, both times they went three-and-out.
Johnson was obviously frustrated during the game, presumably by his lack of targets. He had just two catches during the game and could be seen arguing with Head Coach Mike Tomlin at one point. Tomlin wasn't the only coach he complained to. Reports said that Johnson was going up and down the sidelines "chirping" at the coaches. Then when the game ended, he continued his diatribe as the team headed into the locker room.
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Steelers DT Cam Heyward and LB TJ Watt celebrate a sack in their Week 12 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
That was enough for Fitzpatrick who intervened. The two exchanged words and reportedly, it almost became physical. Fortunately, Heyward and T.J. Watt were there to break up the fight. The two senior defenders intervened and spoke to the whole team about sticking together.
Heyward recently appeared on an episode of Good Morning Football on NFL Network and was asked by co-hosts Peter Schrager and Jason McCourty about the fight.
"I think it was one of those times after a game, you're kind of ticked off when you lost to the Browns and it was an opportunity squandered. Guys were upset about it. Cooler heads have to prevail. There's a lot of football in front of us. It's up to our leaders to step in and keep the ship afloat," said Heyward.
The loss to the Browns dropped the Steelers to 6-4 and was likely the final straw that led to the firing of Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada. Perhaps the firing, coupled with some intensity from the players, helped the Steelers get their offensive act together a bit. They were able to beat the Cincinnati Bengals the following week 16-10.
Steelers' Diontae Johnson Has Been A Loose Cannon This Season
While Johnson's path in the NFL has never been perfectly smooth, he seems to be more frustrated this season than ever before. He even seems more upset now than he did in 2022 when he never found the end zone.
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Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson appeared to give no effort toward recovering a ball fumbled by teammate Jaylen Warren.
Earlier this season, he spoke quite openly about the shoddy NFL officiating. While he wasn't necessarily wrong, the complaining not only garnered him fines, it also brought in some unwanted negative attention. Then most recently, he stood by as a fumbled ball got recovered by the opponent while he did nothing.
Johnson claimed he didn't see the fumble happen, but it is hard to imagine how he missed a ball that was right at his feet. He went viral for his seemingly lazy behavior. This once again drew a lot of attention and not the kind you want. Johnson reportedly apologized to his teammates and is working to make it right.
Despite Johnson's blunders, the offense did look better against the Bengals. This is giving fans a lot of hope heading into the Week 13 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson during a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12.
What do you make of all of Johnson's crazy behaviors lately? Click to comment below.
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