Defense has been the name of the game for the Pittsburgh Steelers through the first two weeks of this season. Much has been said about their incredible pass rush, but their secondary has looked strong too. Minkah Fitzpatrick is always a stud, and Joey Porter Jr. has had a very good start to this year. Mike Tomlin seems impressed with Porter’s ability to shadow opposing team’s best receivers.
“That is his life,” Tomlin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference via the team’s YouTube channel. “That’s what he signed up for. I’ve known him the majority of his life and he’s living what he dreamed. He wants the big matchups. He’s prepared himself for it. There’s challenges that come with it. I like the general spirit in which he addresses them.”
Through two weeks, Porter has had two tough assignments in Drake London and Courtland Sutton. Both are big-bodied receivers with wide-catch radiuses, but Porter had them locked up. London finished with two catches for 15 yards, and Sutton only had one catch for 26 yards. Porter isn’t the only reason they struggled, but he was a key piece.
The two offenses the Steelers have played this year haven’t exactly been stellar, but those are still good players Porter is matching up against. Last year, as a rookie, Porter made it clear he wanted those difficult matchups. He runs to the challenge, not away from it. He did a fine job last year, and it seems he’s building off that strong start to his career.
This week, against the Los Angeles Chargers, Porter might face a different challenge. The Chargers don’t have a receiver who’s on the level of London or Sutton, but they do have a superstar quarterback. Justin Herbert may be nursing an ankle injury, but he’s still one of the best quarterbacks in the league. That could help him elevate his receivers, including Quentin Johnston, who is coming off a two-touchdown performance.
Also, the Chargers have been a run-first team so far this year. Porter’s tackling was suspect last year, and it may be put to the test this week. If he can tackle half as good as he’s covered receivers, he should be fine.
The Steelers do have several of the league’s best receivers still lined up on the schedule. There’s no telling if they’ll be healthy when they play the Steelers, but if they are, Porter’s mettle will be tested. Ja’Marr Chase, A.J. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, and Davante Adams are all among the league’s best, and Porter should shadow all of them. Tomlin seems confident in his abilities to do just that.
