Following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 20-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Acrisure Stadium in Week 8, wide receiver Diontae Johnson was seething with frustration, primarily directed at the officiating during the game. Johnson was adamant that what he perceived as a biased approach against the Steelers cost his team the victory. Specifically, he cited the pivotal offsides penalty that resulted in a lengthened field goal attempt just before halftime and the use of roughing the passer calls, but he contended that a pattern of unfavorable calls persisted throughout the game.
Also Read: Tommy Devito: Age, Net worth, Salary, High School, College, NFL, New York Giants contract and more
In expressing his discontent, Johnson did not mince words. He asserted, “They were calling stupid stuff. They should get fined for calling terrible stuff. That’s how pissed I am. I don’t care what anyone says, it cost us the game. Yeah, I got to make plays. I had two plays I should have made, but that doesn’t define the whole game.”
The particular penalty on the field goal attempt rankled Johnson the most. Isaac Seumalo was penalized for being offsides, transforming a 55-yard field goal attempt by Chris Boswell into a daunting 61-yard effort, which Boswell failed to convert. A successful kick would have narrowed the score gap to just three points at halftime.
Had the game unfolded as expected in the second half, the Steelers would have had a chance to equalize in their final possession. Instead, they were two scores behind.
Johnson emphasized the significance of that missed field goal, noting, “That field goal coming into the half, we needed that. They got the ball back; we might have gotten the ball back at the end of the game. Who knows? That field goal hurt us.”
While he vowed to heed head coach Mike Tomlin’s advice to move on and prepare for an upcoming midweek game against the Tennessee Titans, Johnson remained steadfast in his belief that the referees’ decisions favored Jacksonville during the week’s contest. He remarked, “They wanted them to win because everything was in their favor. They were getting every little call. But it is what it is… I’m moving on from it. I’m ready for Thursday.”
