Derrick’s Dudes & Duds: Porter Jr. Balls, Kazee Falls (+)
It was an ugly afternoon in Pittsburgh due to the rain and overall product put on the field by the Steelers, particularly on offense. This game against the Jaguars was a good litmus test for how far away the team is from being considered true threats in the AFC. Based on the results, they’re not particularly close as the defense forced three turnovers, yet the home team only accumulated ten points on the day. Let’s review some dudes (there were few) and some dudes (there were many).
Dude: Joey Porter Jr.
As each week passes, it gets more and more difficult to understand how this young man fell out of the first round of the NFL Draft. His playing time has consistently been on the uptick and Porter Jr. has been locking down the left side of the field each and every week. Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence tried testing him in the first half, sending his number one target Calvin Ridley on a nine route down the sideline. Porter was up for the task, squeezing the air out of the route without allowing any separation whatsoever. His rise has been fun to watch.