Being a No. 1 cornerback isn’t just about having all the physical tools. The size, the speed, and the ball skills. It’s about the mentality. Believing you’re the best of the best to take on five-star matchups where the weight of the game is on you. CB Joey Porter Jr. is the man in the arena, ready to take on the Cincinnati Bengals’ dynamic duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
“This is what I came to the league for,” Porter told CBS Sports’ Evan Washburn prior to Sunday’s kickoff. “I always wanna go against the best of the best. Coach always put that battery in my back to give the opportunity to do so. So, man, I’m just gonna go out there and put on for my team and my family.”
The only place Porter doesn’t want to be seen is on Hard Knocks’ cameras. Everything else, he wants all the smoke.
Porter has been the Steelers’ No. 1 corner throughout the season, often shadowing the opposition’s top receiver. That’s likely to remain true throughout today’s game. Whether he faces Chase or Higgins, it’ll be a big matchup. Chase is having a borderline historic season. He entered the week third in receptions, first in yards, and first in touchdowns. With the ability to explode for a 200-plus yard game, he’s a big play threat downfield and post-catch. The Bengals make things more complicated by aligning him all over the field. If Porter is on him all day, it’ll be more than just covering him on the outside.
Higgins is no slouch, either. As we pointed out in our prediction post, Higgins’ per-game averages are similar to Chase’s. Health has been the only thing slowing Higgins down this year, missing five games due to injury. He returned for their last game and put up nine catches for 148 yards and a touchdown in a Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The objective isn’t to shut either guy out—that is mission impossible. The key is to slow those guys down and prevent them from writing the game’s headline. Normally, Pittsburgh does a nice job combining personnel and scheme to minimize star impact, but all it takes is one or two big plays from Chase or Higgins to be the reason the Bengals win and keep their playoff hopes alive.
