Can Joey Porter continue to shine?
Joey Porter has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise bad cornerback room. While it took longer than it arguably should have, the Steelers have officially promoted him to starter this week. With him likely playing every snap on defense now, Porter has to continue to show the traits that have made him successful.
This week won’t be a breeze either. He will be facing an upstart Titans passing game that is coming off a dynamic performance. While it took DeAndre Hopkins a minute to find his footing, he looked like his old self a week ago. At a bare minimum, he is still a dynamic route runner that is hard to cover.
While Porter won’t likely be exclusive to covering Hopkins, he will certainly see him on the outside at some point. This will be a growing-up moment for the rookie, as he will need to maintain his high level of play against the veteran. He can’t allow Hopkins to go off like he did a week ago.
Porter has his biggest test this week. A savvy veteran receiver who just had his best game of the season is no easy task, and Porter will likely have his hands full this week. He can’t backtrack though, and his play needs to continue to be solid for this defense. He needs to earn the starting role he has now been given.