With a hamstring injury to Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson in Week 1, others will have to step up moving forward. On Tuesday, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin voiced his confidence in those guys to help fill the void of their star playmaker. One guy that is a part of that group? Calvin Austin III. In his first career game, Austin saw 35 offensive snaps in the Week 1 loss.
After Johnson’s injury, Austin saw a clear uptick in playing time. On the day, he caught all six of his targets for 37 yards. Allen Robinson is another guy that will be expected to step up, and he did just that in the opening loss. The veteran racked up a five catches for a team-high 64 yards. When speaking to the media on Wednesday via Amanda Godsey of the Tribune-Democrat Sports, Austin stated he’s comfortable in multiple roles for the Steelers.
"Yes, you know I’ve gotten a lot of work at both [inside and outside]. We have a lot of interchangeable parts, and we’ve been thrown around all through camp to be prepared for moments like this. I think we’ll all be able to do inside and out."
George Pickens is now the team’s clear No. 1 wideout with Johnson out, and he’s primarily an outside weapon. That leaves Austin and Robinson as the next two guys in line, and they can both line up on the inside or outside. The depth chart has Austin listed as a backup to Robinson for that No. 3 role, but things will obviously change now. Robinson was the presumed slot receiver this year, but with the injury to Johnson, it leaves a void on the outside.
In fact, it may benefit the Steelers to use Austin and Robinson in different roles. That would help disguise what the offense is going to do on any given play, making it more difficult for opposing defenses. That begins with the Cleveland Browns in Week 2, as the Steelers will need big performances from these two guys on Monday Night Football.
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It’s also important to remember that Matt Canada remains the team’s offensive coordinator. The front office opted to bring him back for a third season earlier this offseason. In Week 1, he hardly showed any improvements from the flaws that he’s displayed in his first two seasons in Pittsburgh. The offense's ongoing struggles led to criticisms from Tomlin and even former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
While they faced an elite defense in the San Francisco 49ers, it was still much of the same. The offense kicked themselves in the foot too often, something Austin admitted to the media on Wednesday as well. For the second consecutive summer, Austin torched his teammates in practice with his electrifying speed. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to show that in a game setting last year, as he missed his whole rookie season with an injury.
Considering Week 1 was his first career NFL game, things should only go up for Austin from here on out. His speed is something that you simply cannot teach. With Johnson out, Canada should be scripting plays to get the ball into the hands of Austin. Just one game into his rookie season, it seems like he's ready for more usage already. The Steelers may just be forced into that while Johnson is sidelined.
Who is the biggest X-factor with Johnson out? Should the offense/Canada scheme more plays for Austin now? Who do you think the team should put in the slot?
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