The Pittsburgh Steelers made numerous additions this offseason, but some of the biggest ones came in the secondary. The Steelers sought to add some veteran help alongside Joey Porter Jr. at cornerback, and did so by bringing in Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay.
On Monday, Mike Tomlin mentioned that the Steelers keep divisional foes in mind when they build their roster. That sentiment was echoed by Porter, who acknowledged the Steelers are built to play teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, their Week 7 opponent.
“Coach Tomlin told us from the jump, from training camp, we got all of us for a reason. Every cornerback, every DB we pick was for a reason. It was for, to lock these guys up, and be able to play man [coverage] across the board. And now we get to really show what we really made of,” Porter said Monday, via 93.7 The Fan on X.
Stopping the Bengals’ offense can be much easier said than done. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are nightmares, but they’ve been easier to contain this year without Joe Burrow throwing them the ball. He’ll miss both games against the Steelers this year. Pittsburgh gets Joe Flacco on Thursday and will likely see him again in Pittsburgh later in the year.
Cincinnati has weapons, but the Steelers have been playing much better defensively. Porter’s been doing his part, allowing a passer rating of just 84.0 when targeted. However, he missed three games with an injury. Health has been the biggest issue for this secondary. They’re both back on the field now, but Ramsey and Porter have dealt with their respective injuries.
That said, the Steelers have had issues against talented receivers. Against Minnesota in the Dublin game, Justin Jefferson caught 10 passes for 126 yards. Jordan Addison also had 114, with a large portion coming in a catch-and-run late in the game. They weren’t entirely healthy as a secondary back then, but it’s not the greatest showing.
Chase and Higgins are both threats, but the Steelers now have a healthy secondary. Ramsey, Slay, and Joey Porter Jr. can all play man coverage well. If they can contain Cincinnati’s passing attack on Thursday, the rest of the defense will look better.
