Diontae Johnson loses touchdown, Mike Tomlin doesn't challenge ruling in Steelers' victory

CINCINNATI — After ending a year-plus drought without a touchdown catch in Week 9, Diontae Johnson appeared to get his second in the first quarter Sunday at Paycor Stadium.

Johnson, however, lost control of the ball as he went out of the end zone after an apparent catch. Officials ruled it an incompletion, wiping out what would have been six points for the Pittsburgh Steelers in an eventual 16-10 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Johnson thought he had possession long enough for a touchdown, but he couldn’t fault the back judge for making the call.

“I had 3 feet in front of me,” Johnson said, “but I just have to hold onto the ball.”

Quarterback Kenny Pickett also thought the Steelers had scored, and the touchdown pass would have been his first in three games and second in the past six.

“I was running down there to celebrate, and then I didn’t,” he said. “Obviously, on the road, you don’t get to see a replay. I want to see it on tape and see what happened.”

The score would have given the Steelers a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Running back Jaylen Warren fumbled on the next play, and Cincinnati recovered.

This play in #PITvsCIN is a perfect illustration of the "Catch" rule and how instant replay is applied.

In real speed, watch how fast Diontae Johnson possesses the ball and then loses control of it. From an official's POV, this play appears to be an incomplete pass because the… pic.twitter.com/uYXC6JBPSZ

— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) November 26, 2023

CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steratore said on the TV broadcast that if challenged, the play “should have been overturned to a touchdown.”

Problem was, coach Mike Tomlin never threw the red challenge flag, and the decision stood once the ball was snapped on the play that resulted in the Warren fumble.

“They were definitive (about the incompletion ruling), and I lost vision of it,” Tomlin said. “There were people between me and him. I couldn’t count steps. They didn’t give another look at it in stadium … and we didn’t get a quick enough look at it up top (in the coaches box). Sometimes that happens when you’re on the road.”