Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has been the subject of a lot of scrutiny after Sunday’s loss to the Jets. One reason was the 15-yard penalty he drew for a celebration mocking Plaxico Burress. The other is that Johnson dropped a potentially game-winning touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter.
But while Johnson acknowledged that it was stupid of him to incur a penalty with his celebration, he disputes that he had a drop. After fans called Johnson out on Twitter, Johnson shot back.
“I can’t believe you guys really telling me I “dropped” the GWinner. Smh. Pitt was a drop. This was QB&WR not on the same page,” Johnson tweeted.
In other words, Johnson says, his dropped touchdown catch in overtime against the Steelers last year was a real, honest-to-goodness drop. But Johnson doesn’t believe he dropped a game-winner against the Jets yesterday. He just believes he and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick miscommunicated.
Here’s the reality: Johnson had two potentially game-winning touchdown passes thrown to him in the final minute of the Bills’ loss. On one of them, in the end zone, Johnson is right: He and Fitzpatrick weren’t on the same page, and if anything the incompletion appeared to be Fitzpatrick’s fault, not Johnson’s.
But on the other one, Johnson got open in the Jets’ secondary, and Fitzpatrick hit him in the hands at the 25-yard line, with Johnson having a good chance to take it to the house. And Johnson just dropped it. Period.
“My reaction was slow,” Johnson said after the game. “It was there. I just didn’t react fast enough.”
So, yes, Johnson dropped a potentially game-winning touchdown pass. Whether he likes hearing that from fans on Twitter or not.