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

The initial returns were disappointing. Johnson saw little playing time early in his life in Charm City, failing to catch a catch in his Baltimore debut in Week 9 due to limited snaps. Week 10 showed a similar picture, with Johnson barely making a dent in scoring in the first half against the Bengals.

Here’s what you need to know:

Will Diontae Johnson play against the Bengals?

Johnson was considered healthy and active for Thursday’s game against the Bengals. However, he remained without a catch or goal until the last play of the first half.

The Ravens are known to spread the ball around, with Jackson regularly facing players like Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor and Rashod Bateman, among others. With Isaiah Likely sidelined, conditions seemed favorable for Johnson to get a chance at some passes.

But that didn’t happen on Thursday. Johnson had valuable opportunities on the field, not to mention goals. Most of the time he was fixed 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 took far fewer snaps than some of his fellow pass-catchers early in the first half of Thursday’s affair:

Ravens WR snap count after 3 drives

Zay Flowers 12
Rashod Bateman 12
Nelson Agholor 9
Tylan Wallace 3
Diontae Johnson 1

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As time expired, Johnson managed to get onto the field and make a six-yard catch on the final play of the first half.

Diontae Johnson stats vs. Bengals

Johnson had just one catch for six yards on his only score 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 debut in Baltimore and didn’t record a catch or target.

Johnson expects to take on more pass-catching work in the coming weeks. He consistently reached double-digit targets during his time in Carolina and caught 51 passes last year with the Steelers. Perhaps the shortened week has caused Harbaugh to keep him off the field while he tries to get used to the playbook.

Johnson still has plenty of time to make an impact on tonight’s game. Whether Harbaugh and Co. will allow him is another matter.