5 things we learned: Diontae Johnson's absence puts Chase Claypool in uncustomary role for Steelers

Five things we learned from Bengals 24, Steelers 10:

1. Chasing the short pass

With Diontae Johnson missing the game because of a knee injury, it left the Steelers without their best after-the-catch threat. In his absence, the Steelers decided to plug Chase Claypool into the role.

It was akin to trying to fit the proverbial square peg into a round hole. Although Claypool was targeted 15 times and had nine catches for 96 yards, he was miscast in the role.

Claypool’s specialty is using his size and length to make catches down the field. The Steelers like to get him in one-on-one matchups and hope that Claypool can, at worst, draw a pass interference penalty from cornerbacks.

Running quick slants, breaking tackles or trying to make defenders whiff after the catch is not part of Claypool’s repertoire. It’s a role best suited for JuJu Smith-Schuster. Even before Smith-Schuster left with a rib injury, Claypool was targeted heavily inside. He had five catches on nine targets for 26 yards in the first half. Take away a 12-yard reception, and he totaled 14 yards on five catches.

It also didn’t help Claypool’s cause that he was flagged twice for pass interference on a day when the Steelers had 10 penalties called against them.

2. Tight investment

For the first time in three games, Eric Ebron played the most snaps of any of the team’s three tight ends. He played 47 snaps, followed by 30 from Pat Freiermuth and 17 from Zach Gentry.

In the second year of a two-year, $12 million contract, Ebron’s production has consisted of one catch for 19 yards. In the past two games, Ebron has been held without a catch on five targets.

Freiermuth, meanwhile, scored his first NFL touchdown on a 4-yard catch that tied the score, 7-7, late in the first half. Gentry has been used as a blocker when the Steelers have tried to establish the run. That was a supposed weakness when the Steelers drafted Gentry in the fifth round in 2019. And it speaks volumes about the lack of faith the Steelers have in Ebron and Freiermuth as blockers when they call upon Gentry in such situations.

3. There’s no rush

As expected, the Steelers missed having All-Pro T.J. Watt and second-year outside linebacker Alex Highsmith available because of groin injuries. And with their absence, the NFL regular-season record of 75 games with at least one sack also ended.

Not only didn’t the Steelers sack Joe Burrow once after he had been dropped 10 times combined in the first two games, they didn’t register a single quarterback hit. Contrast that with Ben Roethlisberger, who went down four times and was hit on three other occasions. In the past two games, Roethlisberger has been hit an alarming 17 times.

The outside linebacker “rotation” didn’t include veteran Melvin Ingram, who played all 47 defensive snaps. Jamir Jones made his first NFL start, but actually took fewer snaps than Derrek Tuszka, who was promoted from the practice squad Saturday. Tuszka was on the field for 27 plays compared to 20 for Jones.

The chance to apply pressure was limited by the Steelers falling behind 24-7 in the third quarter and Burrow attempting just 18 passes. After his 34-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase late in the first half, Burrow didn’t have to throw downfield again.

4. Missing the points

In the grand scheme of a 14-point loss, a missed field goal in the third quarter doesn’t rank high on the list of problems. But consider what might have transpired if Chris Boswell had made his 42-yard attempt.

The Steelers would have pulled within 24-10 in the third quarter, and Boswell’s 26-yarder on the next possession would have cut the deficit to 24-13. On the next series, when the Steelers drove to the Cincinnati 11 with 3 minutes, 9 seconds remaining, they could have avoided the disastrous fourth-down swing pass to Najee Harris that lost a yard.

Another Boswell field goal there would have cut the Bengals’ lead to eight points, 24-16, and given the Steelers remote hope of tying the score with a touchdown and 2-point conversion. Of course, that is too unlikely a task for an offense that has generated four touchdowns in three games to complete. But it would have left a brief flicker on hope in the waning moments.

5. Seeing yellow

One thing consistent about the Steelers’ inconsistent offensive line was the ability to draw the penalty flag against the Bengals. All five starters were guilty of at least one infraction, beginning with the second play of the game.

Right tackle Chuks Okorafor got it started when he was called for an illegal formation. On the first play of the second series, center Kendrick Green was called for a hold. A Claypool pass interference call came later in the drive.

A false start by guard Trai Turner on third-and-8 on the following possession preceded Ben Roethlisberger’s first interception. In recap: three series, four penalties (three by the offensive line) and zero first downs.

On the Steelers’ only touchdown drive, they overcame Kevin Dotson’s holding call. In the second half, a holding call against Green was declined because it happened on the play in which Roethlisberger threw his second pick. Later, Okorafor picked up his second penalty with a false start. And left tackle Dan Moore Jr. joined the penalty club in the fourth quarter with a false start.