Following a season-ending injury suffered by Tank Dell, the Houston Texans put in a claim for Diontae Johnson. The veteran wideout started the year with the Carolina Panthers before being traded to the Baltimore Ravens at the NFL trade deadline.
He was on the sidelines as Houston faced the team that just released him but then made his debut in Week 18 against the Tennessee Titans. Despite limited time in the system, Johnson looked fairly comfortable with his new franchise.
Four passes were thrown his way and Johnson caught two of them for 12 yards. He was even used on punt returns, although he didn't gain any yards on his only attempt.
Those numbers might not seem significant but the Texans were pleased — especially considering they pulled C.J. Stroud and Joe Mixon after the first series. Even without the star quarterback passing him the ball, Johnson impressed head coach DeMeco Ryans who applauded how quickly he picked up the offense.
“I thought he picked up on the things we were asking him to do. I thought he had some really nice catches, really nice plays throughout practice and he got in the game,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We were able to get him a little involved in the game as well. I thought he handled himself really well. We will start to continue to feed him more to see how he can help us.”
This isn't the first time Johnson has been praised. Ahead of their Week 18 showdown, Joe Mixon said we were "in for a treat" with Johnson.
Texans need Diontae Johnson to win on Saturday
Houston is an underdog going into this game and most of that is due to their offensive struggles. With Dell out, as well as Stefon Diggs, their aerial attack hasn't been consistent.
Johnson doesn't need to be a superstar but he does need to prove himself a capable option in this offense. If he can do that, it will open things up for Nico Collins. It might also help back the safeties off, aiding Mixon and the ground game.
It's not often a team has to rely on a player added in December, but the Texans find themselves in that situation. Thankfully, the small sample size is encouraging.