While it was a good day for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who beat the Seattle Seahawks, 30-23, to keep their playoff hopes alive heading into Week 18, it was the first game where a receiver got the better of Steelers rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf caught three of his six targets when aligned against Porter, gaining 86 yards. Per Next Gen Stats, Metcalf is the first receiver to gain over 40 yards against Porter in coverage this season.
The other interesting mention in that tweet is that Porter has traveled with receivers seven times, tied for the most in the NFL, since Week 7. It goes to show the trust that Pittsburgh has in Porter to take away the top option from other teams. More often than not, he’s done so this year, but against the 6-5 physical freak in Metcalf, the receiver was able to get the better of him.
It was a matchup that both Metcalf and Porter were looking forward to ahead of the game, with Porter saying he circled it as soon as the schedule came out. The Steelers did a good enough job in coverage taking away Seattle’s other options though, and despite a cornerback group that had Levi Wallace and James Pierre behind Porter, neither Tyler Lockett nor Jaxon Smith-Njigba had more than one reception. Seattle’s tight ends did a good job, particularly Noah Fant, who had five grabs for 59 yards, but it was a solid game for Pittsburgh’s secondary against a team with a bunch of weapons.
I think the Steelers will take Metcalf having the game he did and getting the win knowing how well they limited Seattle’s other weapons at receiver and that they got the win. Metcalf is a tough player to cover given his size and athleticism, and while Porter’s physicality could match his, Metcalf is the more experienced player. He used that experience to make some plays against the rookie corner. Metcalf only had three catches against Porter, and he finished the day with five receptions for 106 yards on eight targets.
Pittsburgh got the win despite Metcalf’s day, and Porter will look to take away the Baltimore Ravens’ top option next week. He had an interception while covering Odell Beckham Jr. in the first matchup between the two teams in Week Five, and I’m sure Porter will be hungry to get another interception and establish himself as a key member of the Steelers-Ravens rivalry, just as his father did before him.
