5 Things: Unlike 2020, dropped passes a rarity for Steelers WR Diontae Johnson this season

5 things we learned from Steelers 20, Ravens 19:

1. Diontae’s drop

The touchdown pass that Diontae Johnson dropped on a 35-yard heave with 48 seconds left in the first half would have sent him into a tail spin had it occurred last year for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Johnson led the NFL in drops, and it became such a serious issue that he was benched for most of the first half in a December loss at Buffalo. Johnson vowed to eliminate his drops this season and, until Sunday, he was almost perfect when getting his hands on the football.

According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson’s drop was just his second of the season on 120 targets. Pro Football Reference, with perhaps a more rigid grading system, still hasn’t credited Johnson with a drop this year. PFF counted 15 drops for Johnson in 2020, while PFR recorded him as having 13.

Like the rest of the Steelers offense, Johnson got going in the second half against the Ravens. After catching one of three targets for 14 yards in the first half, he caught seven of eight in the second for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

In his third NFL season, Johnson clearly has become Ben Roethlisberger’s go-to receiver as evidenced by his targets, 76 catches and 914 receiving yards.

2. Dueling kickers

The game presented a matchup of two of the NFL’s top placekickers, but when it was over, it served as a reminder that Baltimore’s Justin Tucker remains in a category of his own.

Tucker was 2 for 2 on field goals and made his only extra-point try, while Boswell shanked an extra point wide left in the fourth quarter and then sent his final kickoff out of bounds, allowing the Ravens to start their final drive at the 40.

Boswell’s missed kick kept the Steelers at a 10-9 deficit early in the fourth. He recovered to make a 43-yard field goal on the next possession, which kept the Steelers within 13-12, and he was absolved of his missed extra point when the Steelers got the 2-point conversion after scoring another touchdown with 1:48 to play.

The ensuing kickoff that went out of bounds provided the Ravens with 15 fewer yards to cover than if Boswell had gotten a touchback. That enabled Lamar Jackson to need only 60 yards to cover instead of 75.

Tucker, by the way, has made 56 consecutive fourth quarter or overtime field goals. He has made 155 of 163 career field goals in the second half, a 95% rate that is the best in NFL history.

3. Ready to run

Despite not holding a lead until less than two minutes remained, the Steelers remained committed to running the football. Sure, their largest deficit was only seven points, but in the past that would have provided ample reason for the Steelers to have Roethlisberger cut it loose and abandon the run.

Najee Harris carried five times in the first half when the Steelers possessed the ball for just 6:30 and had 18 plays to the Ravens’ 39. He got three carries on the first drive of the second half, and he had three more runs on the series after the Ravens took a 10-3 lead.

The Steelers leaned on Harris in the fourth quarter when he carried 10 times for 36 yards. He had an 8-yard run and got 2 yards on a second-and-1 on the drive that produced a Boswell field goal.

After the Steelers got the ball back with 6:21 to play and trailing 13-12, Harris opened the series with an 8-yard gain. He also ripped off a game-high 13-yard run to get the Steelers into field goal position at the Ravens 34. And when Harris needed a breather, Benny Snell had runs of 5 and 8 yards to help the Steelers wind the clock and get into position to score the go-ahead touchdown with 1:48 to play.

4. Seventh heaven

In training camp, the Steelers often open the team portion of practices pitting the offense against the defense in a 2-point conversion drill known as “Seven Shots.” The first-team offense runs four plays against the first-team defense, and it’s the second-team offense’s turn against the second-team defense for the final three plays.

The Steelers scale back the drill during the regular season but make a point to run it in practice every Friday. Coach Mike Tomlin said it was the familiarity in those “weighty” moments that enabled the Steelers to be perfect on each end of the field when they converted a 2-point conversion and defended Jackson’s failed 2-point toss to Mark Andrews with 12 seconds to play.

Roethlisberger found Pat Freiermuth for the 2-point conversion on a pass play he probably called dozens of times in practice since August. And T.J. Watt knew precisely the route he needed to take to force a hurried throw by Jackson that Andrews couldn’t handle for the winning points.

5. Backed into a corner

John Harbaugh’s decision to go for the 2-pointer at the end was attributed, in part, to Marlon Humphrey leaving the game with what was discovered to be a torn pectoral muscle that will end the Ravens star cornerback’s season.

Tomlin could relate to Harbaugh being concerned about attrition at the position. Not only was Joe Haden missing his third game in a row, but Tomlin decided to bench James Pierre for his poor performance in the 41-10 loss to Cincinnati.

The Steelers faced the Ravens with Ahkello Witherspoon filling Haden’s spot, and he played 68 of 74 defensive snaps while contributing five tackles and one pass breakup. Justin Layne, a forgotten member of the secondary, played eight of his nine snaps at outside corner. Arthur Maulet (26 snaps) and Tre Norwood (13) were used in the slot, with Cam Sutton moving inside on just one play.

It’s a configuration that helped the Steelers rebound from a 31-point loss at Cincinnati, and it’s a grouping that could be used again Thursday night in Minnesota.