While their offense has been much improved, the Pittsburgh Steelers have still been defined by their defense this season. That unit has continued to be one of the best in the NFL. However, against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers were not at their best defensively. Joey Porter Jr. in particular had a brutal game, one marred by penalties. Mike Tomlin seems to be willing to live with those issues against a receiver like Tee Higgins.
“A component of that is competing against the likes of Tee Higgins and his style of play,” Tomlin said Tuesday via the team’s YouTube channel. “I felt the same way when we played DK Metcalf late last year, for example. You have to match the physicality of these big people, and sometimes you do so at risk, and that’s just a tightrope that I and he are willing to walk in an effort to be competitive.
“One thing we’re not gonna do is turn it down and allow him to catch the ball. He’s a big guy, as you saw that touchdown he had late in the game against Cam Sutton. He is a challenge. When we play Shaq, we’re gonna use our fouls.”
For those of you unaware of what Tomlin is talking about, he’s referencing the way NBA teams used to defend Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal was so physically dominant that other teams were forced to foul him when trying to stop him. They felt more comfortable with sending the 15-time NBA All-Star to the free-throw line than letting him get in a groove and crush them.
From that standpoint, it makes sense why Tomlin isn’t concerned about Porter’s penalties. Higgins does have a massive frame at receiver, standing at around 6-4′ and weighing well over 200 pounds. If Porter wasn’t physical with him, he could have done even more damage to the Steelers.
As it stands, he only put up five catches for 69 yards and one touchdown. That’s still a good day, but not the kind of game-breaking statline he could have produced. Ja’Marr Chase gets most of the attention at receiver for the Bengals, but Higgins is no slouch. He could easily be a No. 1 wide receiver on another team.
Tomlin’s point about this game being similar to when the Steelers played Metcalf and the Seattle Seahawks last season is a good one too. In that game, Metcalf went off with five catches for 106 yards. He was a problem, and Tomlin clearly doesn’t want big receivers to continue burning his defense.
That doesn’t mean Porter shouldn’t work to clean up his game. In the context of the Bengals game, His penalties weren’t terrible, but it’s been an issue that’s plagued him since before he got into the NFL. Porter’s physicality is a double-edged sword. It’s his greatest weapon, but sometimes it can also be his greatest weakness.
He’s still a young player, so it’s natural that he’ll have some holes in his game. For the most part, he’s been a legitimate No. 1 corner for the Steelers. It doesn’t seem like Tomlin will be quick to change Porter’s physical nature, and maybe that isn’t a bad thing. Better to force Shaq to hit his free throws than allow him to dunk on you all day.
