Sunday's Week 11 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers isn't lacking any juice. While it's always a must-see spectacle when these AFC North rivals duke it out, there's added spice when factoring in that both of these teams are effectively knotted atop the division, with the winner standing alone when the dust settles. Of course, that will be the main course, but a side story to this head-to-head is new Ravens wideout Diontae Johnson facing off against his former team.
This will mark the first time Johnson will go against the Steelers since he was traded this offseason to the Carolina Panthers. The wideout has subsequently been traded to the Ravens, setting the stage for this showdown and a possible breakout performance with his new team.
So far, Johnson has had a muted tenure in Baltimore as the team has slowly worked him into the rotation. After being acquired on Oct. 29, he played 17 offensive snaps in the team's Week 9 matchup against the Denver Broncos but logged zero catches. During Thursday's Week 10 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Johnson finished with one catch for six yards on two targets but was on the field for just five offensive snaps.
When speaking to reporters Monday, head coach John Harbaugh noted that Johnson will likely see more action this week against his former club.
"He's been here now for somewhat of a number of practices," Harbaugh said, via the official team website. "I would expect that to ramp up, yes."
While this can simply be looked at as a natural progression for Johnson as he continues to assimilate with his new Ravens team, it's also a fascinating development that it jives with facing a Steelers team that drafted him in 2019 and where was an All-Pro. Sprinkle in the winner momentarily claiming first place in the AFC North, and it's clearly one of the best games on the Week 11 slate.