Is Diontae Johnson playing? New Ravens WR kept quiet in first half vs. Bengals

On By Littum

When the Ravens acquired Diontae Johnson from the Panthers, optimists hoped the 28-year-old WR could rekindle the form he showed while playing passes for the Steelers.

Early returns have been underwhelming. Johnson has gotten little playing time to start his life in Charm City, failing to record a catch in his Baltimore debut on limited snaps in Week 9. Week 10 proved to be a similar story, with Johnson barely making a dent in score sheet in the first half against the Bengals.

Here’s what you need to know:

Is Diontae Johnson playing against the Bengals?

Johnson was deemed healthy and active for Thursday’s contest against the Bengals. However, he was held without a catch or score until the final play of the first half.

The Ravens are known for spreading the ball around, with Jackson routinely finding the likes of Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor and Rashod Bateman, among others. With Isaiah Likely out, conditions seemed ripe for Johnson to get a chance to make some passes.

However, that did not happen on Thursday. Johnson was given precious chances on the field, let alone goals. More often than not, he found himself stuck on the sidelines.

Is Diontae Johnson injured?

No, Johnson entered Thursday night’s contest with a clean bill of health. That didn’t stop Ravens head coach John Harbaugh from sitting him for much of the first half. Johnson racked up far fewer snaps than some of his pass-catching counterparts early in the first half of Thursday’s affair:

Johnson managed to get on the field for a six-yard catch on the final play of the first half as time expired.

Diontae Johnson stats vs. Bengals

Johnson recorded just one catch for six yards on his lone carry in the first half of Baltimore’s Thursday night matchup with Cincinnati.

Johnson faced a similar dilemma in the Ravens’ Week 9 win over the Broncos. The former Panthers wideout played just 16 snaps in his Baltimore debut, failing to record a catch or a goal.

Johnson expects to take on more of the workload in the next few weeks. He consistently tallied double-digit targets while in Carolina and caught 51 passes last year with the Steelers. Perhaps the shortened week caused Harbaugh to leave him off the field as he tries to get used to the playbook.

There is plenty of time left for Johnson to make an impact on tonight’s game. About Harbaugh and Co. will leave him is another matter.