Pittsburgh Steelers rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. was PFF’s highest-graded cornerback in Week 5, intercepting Lamar Jackson and all season, Porter’s been a lockdown cornerback when he’s on the sector. He’s permitting a passer score in opposition to of 0.0, and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin thinks that Porter has earned extra work, particularly in opposition to the Rams, who’ve run 11 personnel 73% of the time.
“I’d suppose so,” Austin stated when requested if Porter may see the sector extra this week. “There’s a possibility for him to get extra work on the sector. He’s been steadily progressing, every week he’s gotten just a little bit extra. And he’s carried out a great job with it. So we’ll see the way it goes this week, however he in all probability can anticipate it as a result of they’ve been throwing the ball fairly a bit,” Austin added by way of audio supplied by the Steelers PR Division.
Austin additionally stated that the Steelers transferring Porter into extra of their base protection as an alternative of simply making him a dime nook is because of their confidence in him and fewer about their insecurity in fellow corners Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson.
“I feel it implies that we’re just a bit bit happy with how Joey’s progressing. I feel you have a look at in that manner, that he’s making strides and we really feel assured sufficient in and comfy sufficient to place him within the sport in aside from third-down conditions,” Austin stated.
Porter’s earned extra reps together with his play on the sector, and whereas Wallace and Peterson have struggled, with how Porter has performed he needs to be getting extra reps regardless. It helps that the chance can come naturally this week with the Rams’ penchant for working 11 personnel and having extra receivers on the sector, however even when that wasn’t the case, Porter must turn out to be an everyday member of Pittsburgh’s secondary.
Porter very briefly changed an injured Levi Wallace in Week Three in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders, however Week 5 was the primary time non-injury associated that Porter received snaps exterior of Pittsburgh’s dime bundle. It appears like that may proceed to be the case, even when he supplants certainly one of Wallace or Peterson at occasions. He’s been the Steelers’ finest cornerback, and given Pittsburgh’s struggles in protection, it solely is sensible to provide him an even bigger function and see if he can sustain his excessive stage of play.
That first alternative goes to return on Sunday, and the Rams have a trio of receivers the Steelers might want to cease in Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell, who all have been actually stable contributors for the Rams once they’re on the sector. That raises the significance for not simply Porter, but additionally Wallace and Peterson to step up in opposition to a potent offensive assault led by QB Matthew Stafford.
