PITTSBURGH — Joey Porter Jr. put everyone on notice with his play against the Baltimore Ravens, so much so that Pro Football Focus thought he was the best cornerback in football in Week 5. He still played only 28 snaps, but it was a sizable uptick for the rookie who previously only played in dime and skinny nickel. As such, he got to play in the base defense for the first time all year. So, is it time for the rookie to start? Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin says not so fast.
“Not right now,” Austin said. “When the time comes, it’ll come.”
Porter earned the confidence of many with his interception against Odell Beckham. Secondary coach Grady Brown said the play was “about as perfect” as he has seen in a rep from his rookie cornerback. But he remained mum on the possibility of Porter starting moving forward. It was noncommittal, though he acknowledged the circumstances that allowed Porter to excel could happen again.
“We did play him more in the last game outside of just the dime packages he usually plays in,” Brown said. “You know, when you’ve got three good guys with Pat, Levi, and him, and when you’re in a game like that with all of those guys, if a guy’s playing well, you have to continue to play that guy…I think there’s a chance that whoever plays well will start. That’s the goal at the end of the day. He finished the end of the game in a good spot. We’ll see if he starts. I think at the end of the day, are you making the plays that need to be made. I’m not sure it really matters who starts. It’s about who is out there and how is that guy playing?”
That seems to hint that the Steelers could look to pivot to a three-man rotation. If Joey Porter Jr. does not get the start, that would be fine. He played 40 percent of snaps against the Ravens. That number might increase even if the rotation becomes something the Steelers want to pursue.
Joey Porter Jr. has allowed a 0.0 passer rating on the season when targeted on 83 snaps. The sample size remains too small to make sweeping conclusions, as that is about a game and a half worth of snaps. But the truth remains that Porter has caught onto this thing in the NFL quicker than the Steelers may have even thought. The battles with George Pickens and Diontae Johnson sharpened Porter’s technique and drive; so far, it has translated seamlessly onto the NFL field.
The waiting game can be challenging for a guy like Porter when he plays at such a high level. However, he has done this during his freshman season at Penn State. He has confidence in himself and the coaches who are taking him every step of the way along the ride.
“I dealt with something similar during my freshman year at Penn State,” Porter said. “It’s something I’m familiar with, so it’s not something I was shocked by throughout this process. You know, I needed to take steps and keep working. I took the coaching and kept moving. It helped me gain confidence in different ways throughout the weeks. Everybody wants a big chunk right out of the gate, but sometimes everybody’s ready for that or afforded the opportunity. You just have to work harder.”
Brown loves Porter’s confidence and saw it in the Ravens game. It is no coincidence he got his first interception of his career while at his most confident. That’s how you end up with a long, press cornerback stuffing guys like Odell Beckham Jr. out in his first significant career snaps. For now, Porter’s time to truly shine will have to wait.