The Pittsburgh Steelers had to win a nail-biter against the Baltimore Ravens last week. There was nothing easy about that game, with the Ravens almost tying the game up with around a minute remaining. That final drive really tested the Steelers. Apparently, Joey Porter Jr. gathered the defense before they went on the field to defend the Ravens’ two-point conversion attempt and delivered a fiery speech. That seemed to really resonate with players, and now Porter has explained why he did that.
“I just feel like something needed to be said in that moment,” Porter said Tuesday via Steelers Live on Twitter. “We was in that situation before, earlier in the year with the Cowboys, with the game kind of being on us, and I was like, we can’t be in this situation and do that again. So, we just had to stand up, and that’s what we did.”
Porter is correct that the game against the Cowboys came down to the Steelers’ defense. The Steelers led the game 17-13, but the Cowboys got the ball back with around five minutes left. They drove 70 yards down the field and scored a touchdown to win the game.
In that scenario, the Steelers’ defense had a chance to stand tall, but they failed. Porter wasn’t going to let that happen again. The Ravens did score a touchdown on that final drive, but Porter took matters into his own hands. During the two-point conversion attempt to tie the game, Porter made an excellent tackle on Lamar Jackson.
That speaks to how Porter is maturing. He’s only in his second year in the NFL and becoming a leader. That harkens back to his father’s days with the Steelers, too. Some fans may remember the passionate speeches Porter Sr. would deliver to the Steelers. It sounds like his son channeled a little bit of that energy.
The Steelers’ defense has been elite this year, and the Cowboys’ drive is not indicative of their capabilities. Porter knew that, and he made sure the rest of the team did, too. Their efforts in Week 11 were phenomenal, holding the league’s best offense to 16 points. Porter had a big hand in that, both with his play and his words. Hopefully, he doesn’t have to give too many more speeches like that, though.
