Can tennis balls fix Steelers WR Diontae Johnson?

2020 was a nightmare season for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson. In what could have been the season Johnson took his game to the next level and proved to be the new No. 1 receiver in Pittsburgh, Johnson instead led the league in drops and got lost in the shuffle.

But Johnson is working on it. Johnson spoke to the media and he recognizes his problems with focus last season and is using a tennis ball machine to try and improve it. Time after time you could see Johnson pull his head upfield early, looking to make a play before he had the football in his hands, just to see the ball hit the turf.

The Steelers really need Johnson to play better. Getting the passing game back on track is a top priority trailing only getting the run game right. But all the work the team has done won’t matter if the receivers can’t hold only the football.

Personally, I don’t expect the Steelers to give Johnson much leeway. With JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool on the roster, Johnson has the pressure on him to stay on the field and help this team.

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