Pittsburgh Steelers: Studs and duds vs. Cardinals in Week 14

Stud: Diontae Johnson, WR/PR

With about three minutes left in the first quarter, Johnson took a 60-yard punt from Andy Lee 85 yards to the house. It was Pittsburgh’s first touchdown of the game and gave the Steelers a 10-0 lead. With the offense handicapped by injuries, Johnson’s special teams score was invaluable.

With just over three minutes left in the third quarter, Johnson took a screen pass and reversed field. He turned a potential short loss into a significant gain that set Pittsburgh up with first and goal. A few plays later, he capped the drive with his fourth receiving touchdown of the year on a sweet catch on a short comeback route.

Johnson was Pittsburgh’s best player on offense Sunday afternoon. On eight targets, he caught six passes for 60 yards and that touchdown. The rookie third-round pick from Toledo has yet to find consistency this season. Some games, he’ll be a significant contributor and others he’ll just disappear.

Johnson and James Washington are facing a trial by fire with Smith-Schuster missing time. The young wide receivers are still growing, but they both have flashed potential in the previous weeks. Hopefully, they’ll be ready to accept larger roles in 2020.

Dud: Jaylen Samuels, RB

I usually avoid doubling up on a position, especially in the dud section, but there’s no way to avoid mentioning Samuels. The second-year running back carried the ball seven times for 16 yards. That’s a miserable 2.3 yards per carry! He also caught two passes for 18 yards.

In Pittsburgh’s injured and rotating backfield, Samuels produces 38 yards from scrimmage per game. That translates to 421 yards from scrimmage this season. The majority of his yards come through the air and, he’s only averaging 2.77 yards per carry.

Frankly, Samuels is ineffective and has lost his place in the offense. He should see substantially less work when Conner returns to the field.