Coming into the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were viewed by many the same way they have been for the last couple of seasons: good enough to compete for the playoffs but not good enough to contend for a Super Bowl. Pittsburgh has put those doubters to bed, so far, behind strong performances from Joey Porter Jr. and the rest of the defense.
The Steelers have won six of eight to begin the year. They currently sit first in the AFC North with a 6-2 record. They’ve had to deal with injuries across both sides of the ball and a midseason quarterback change. Still, the Steelers have rattled off an impressive start to the season.
As the team continues to exceed expectations, the players still feel underestimated. Joey Porter Jr. echoed that sentiment during his interview on The Insiders on Wednesday.
“I feel like we’ve been underestimated for a while now,” Porter said after being asked whether the players felt like they were being underestimated. “Coming into this season, we didn’t like how we finished off in the playoffs. Just this whole offseason, we was working as a secondary, as the defense and offense as a whole, just trying to get the pieces right and make a run for it this year.”
As we all know, the Steelers made the playoffs last year. Unfortunately, they were quickly dispatched by the Buffalo Bills. Coming into the season, most expected Pittsburgh to contend for a wild card spot. The fact that the Steelers are currently leading the division is huge.
Much is being made about the Steelers’ lack of postseason success in recent years. However, their last two playoff losses have come on the road, against top seeds like the Kansas City Chiefs and the aforementioned Bills. Having a home playoff game against a lower seed would give Pittsburgh a solid shot at ending their playoff drought.
As for Joey Porter Jr., he’s not dealing with any sophomore slump. The second-year cornerback has one interception on the year and three passes defended. Although his allowed completion rate has jumped to 62.5 percent, he’s still allowing just a 75.5 passer rating when targeted. He’s continuing to be a key part of the defensive backfield, which has been vital to Pittsburgh’s success.
