When he was finally given an expanded role on Sunday within the defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers, rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr.’s hard work and preparation paid off in a big way.
Porter Jr., on the field in base situations ahead of veteran Patrick Peterson in the fourth quarter, made a game-changing play for the Steelers, perfectly playing a fade route from Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., picking off Jackson’s pass just three plays after Gunner Olszewski’s costly fumble, keeping Baltimore off the board in a 10-8 game at the time.
It was Porter’s first career regular-season interception in the NFL and his second pick at Acrisure Stadium this season. He picked off Buffalo’s Matt Barkley in the preseason in August.
His interception on Jackson was a big one, one that earned praise from head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive star T.J. Watt after the game.
“Porter’s been playing increasingly more with each passing week. I’ve been really transparent about the inclusion of all the rookies and oftentimes, we start with a good foundational plan in terms of how they participate, and we grow from there. He’s done a solid job with the work given, and so today he got more. He did a nice job with the work he was given today,” Tomlin said to reporters after the 17-1o win over the Ravens, according to video via the Steelers’ Twitter page.
In recent weeks, Porter’s snap count has been limited, especially in Week Four on the road against Houston. In that 3o-6 blowout Porter played just 10 snaps as the Steelers were rarely in sub-package football. In Week Three he played 27 snaps against the Las Vegas Raiders, mostly in sub-package again, though he saw some snaps in place of cornerback Levi Wallace, who was injured for a short time in that win over the Raiders.
But on Sunday that all changed. Porter was put onto the field in base defense opposite Wallace. Porter told reporters after the game that he was inserted in the base defense after halftime with Peterson seemingly benched, leading to Porter getting serious run at outside corner.
He rewarded the coaching staff with the big interception, helping the Steelers keep it a 10-8 game. They ultimately went down the field for the game-winning score on the ensuing drive.
Watt, who dominated in his own right late in the game with a fumble recovery and the game-sealing sack of Jackson on fourth down, had some praise for the young cornerback.
“Heck of a play by Joey Porter Jr. in a big-time moment, in a big-time game against top quality talent. That’s a huge play,” Watt said, praising his young teammate, according to video via the Steelers’ Twitter page.
It was a heck of a play from the rookie out of Penn State.
In his comfort zone in press coverage, Porter did a great job of squeezing Beckham to the sideline, keeping engaged with him and then turning and finding the football, cutting off the throw for the pivotal interception.
Hopefully that play, especially in that stage of the game in a “weighty moment” as Tomlin likes to say, leads to more consistent playing time for Porter. All he’s done when on the field is make plays. The foundation is now there for Tomlin and the coaching staff. Time to turn the kid loose.
