Rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. saw his role increase in the second half of Pittsburgh’s last game against the Baltimore Ravens, playing a season-high 28 defensive snaps. He recorded two total tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception late in the fourth quarter to give the Steelers life and spark a comeback.
Heading into Pittsburgh’s Week Seven game against the Los Angeles Rams, he does not know what his role may be, but he is ready for the challenge that the Rams’ wide receiver corps will present Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
“I always welcome it,” Porter said to the mediavia video from Steelers.com. “I hide from no rec, and I duck no smoke, so we’re football players. That’s what we like to do, so I’m definitely excited for it.”
The Los Angeles Rams have a notable passing attack headlined by QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp. Kupp missed the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury but hasn’t missed a beat upon his return, going over 100 receiving yards in his last two games. Rookie WR Puke Nacua broke out with Kupp out of the lineup, going over 100 receiving yards in three of the first four games of his NFL career. Nacua currently sits at 598 yards on 50 receptions with two touchdowns through six games, giving Los Angeles a viable 1-2 punch with him and Kupp. Tutu Atwell has also played well this season for the Rams. The team’s speedster at wideout, he’s posted 309 yards and two touchdowns on 25 receptions.
Stafford ranks third in the league with 1,677 passing yards through six weeks, meaning that Los Angeles will likely try to attack Pittsburgh through the air as other teams have done this season. The Steelers got bailed out by several dropped passes against the Ravens, but have seen the likes of Nico Collins, Brandon Aiyuk, and Davante Adams go off against them for big games as the pass coverage has struggled.
Still, Porter has played extremely well in the limited snaps he has seen on defense, ranking as one of the top rookies in the league through six weeks, according to Pro Football Focus as well as the top cornerback in the NFL in Week Five. He has faced the likes of Adams and Odell Beckham Jr. in recent weeks, holding his own well in the snaps he played across from the former Pro Bowlers.
He may see a bit of Kupp this week as well as Nacua, and they present their own matchup challenges for a corner like Porter, who doesn’t have great change of direction skills because of his size. Still, Porter wants to show he can cover the best as he strives to make his name in this league. Having another strong performance against the Rams will help him do just that and possibly convince Pittsburgh to eventually increase his role.
