Diontae Johnson caught two passes for 12 yards on four targets with one first down against the Tennessee Titans in his Houston Texans‘ debut.
He caught a punt return and nearly broke free for a substantial.
While he didn’t find the end zone, Johnson made it on the field for 37 percent of the offensive snaps as the Texans picked up their 10th win on the year in a 24-13 victory.
On paper, it’s not all impressive, but DeMeco Ryans was pleased with the debut. That’s one of two people Johnson must impress for more playing time before Saturday’s wild-card round showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers.
“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.”
DeMeco Ryans on Diontae Johnson vs the Titans:
“I thought he really handled himself well. We’ll start to continue to feed him more.”
I was impressed by Diontae’s ability to pick up the playbook, especially with the motions. Seems like he could add some versatility.
The… pic.twitter.com/tDNzgElEe5
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) January 7, 2025
Claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens after a rocky seven weeks, Johnson is looking for a fresh start in Houston. Known for his proven ability to get open and is a smooth route runner, skills the Texans are banking on utilizing those skills opposite Nico Collins on a run through the postseason.
Albeit here for two weeks, Johnson’s made the right impression on his teammates. Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon said the former Pittsburgh Steelers star would be “highly valuable” to the offense.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik called Johnson one of the league’s “better separators in the league” after a hot start in Carolina. That was on display during the third quarter of Sunday’s contest, though Davis Mills was a second late in connecting with the newest offensive weapon.
Johnson, who totaled 30 catches for 358 yards and three TDs with the Panthers in seven games, should have an expanded role against Los Angeles defense. The secondary, headlined by All-Pro safety Derwin James, is allowing just 210.6 passing yards per contest.
“It is just a matter of him integrating into our offense and making sure we put him in positions to where we can accentuate his talents because he is a talented player,” Ryans said. “He has made a ton of plays in this league, and it is exciting to see what he has been able to do on the practice field.”