After finally seeing an expanded defensive role, CB Joey Porter Jr. received the highest of marks for his Week Five performance against the Baltimore Ravens. From the site you like only when they confirm your thoughts, Pro Football Focus named Porter the NFL’s highest-graded corner of Week Five, ahead of Monday night’s final matchup.
Per the site, Porter received a 91.4 coverage grade, the top mark of anyone at his position. After barely playing in the first half, the Steelers bumped up his playing time starting late in the third quarter and he finished out the game. Of course, his biggest moment was intercepting Ravens QB Lamar Jackson on an end-zone jump ball, a critical moment to help complete Pittsburgh’s comeback.
Comparatively, CB Patrick Peterson was the 87th-best corner, Levi Wallace the 93rd-best corner, and Chandon Sullivan the 94th-best corner. Porter, again, was the NFL’s best. As much as PFF grades can be debated, they aren’t off by that type of margin.
Unsurprisingly, Porter was named to PFF’s Week Five “Team Of The Week” for his stellar performance and marks.
Going forward, it’s hard to believe the Steelers will again reduce Porter’s snaps and put him in only dime packages. Now, they’ll have to determine how to divide up the reps opposite of him. That could mean playing Peterson in the slot, or bumping him to right corner, or reducing Peterson’s playing time. They’ll have the bye week to determine all of that.
But Porter is a long and athletic press-man corner with good hands and can contest the ball. That profile and his play demands more playing time. The eye test shows it. The film shows it. And the stats, if you’re into that kind of thing, show it.
Porter will get his next crack at action in Week Seven when the Steelers travel west to play the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams have a solid receiving group led by Cooper Kupp and rookie sensation Puka Nacua while the Steelers will also face veteran QB like Matthew Stafford.
