Joey Porter Jr. gets interception during 1st game playing in Steelers' base defense

The Joey Porter Jr. era, in earnest, might just have begun Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. And it began with quite the bang.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie cornerback on Sunday, for the first time as a pro, was given extensive playing time in the base and nickel defenses on first and second downs. Porter’s promotion came after his duties for the first 4½ games of his NFL career only had him deployed (barring injury) in the dime package.

Porter’s interception with 4 minutes, 10 seconds left in regulation was among the bigger moments in what ended up a come-from-behind 17-10 Steelers victory against the rival Baltimore Ravens.

“Play of the game, Joey Porter,” veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson said. “(Five) yard-line, third-and-goal, when needed a play to keep the game within striking distance.”

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!!!! pic.twitter.com/tmD8wmX6vo

— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2023

The first interception of Porter’s career came on a pass from former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson to the right side of the end zone intended for veteran receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Porter leaped to aggressively catch the ball and then held off Beckham’s attempt to wrestle it away from him as they fell to the ground.

The Steelers were trailing, 10-8. They scored what would be the winning touchdown on the ensuing offensive possession.

“I just made a great play at a great time,” said Porter, the No. 32 overall pick in the draft out of Penn State.

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Porter said he was told by coaches at halftime that he would get more playing time. Before Sunday, the only time Porter had played in lieu of veteran starting outside cornerbacks Patrick Peterson or Levi Wallace over the first four games of the season was when Wallace was briefly injured during the Sept. 24 game at the Las Vegas Raiders.

During the second half against the Ravens, it appeared Porter, Peterson and Wallace rotated series as the outside CB’s in the base and nickel defenses.

“We all knew that Joey, his opportunity was gonna come,” said Peterson, a 13-year veteran who once was a teammate with Porter’s father, Steelers former All Pro outside linebacker Joey Porter.

Porter also had an interception during the preseason, after which he presented the ball to Joey Sr.

This time, he said he was keeping the ball signifying his first official INT as a pro. And why wouldn’t he? Despite his first-round pedigree, Porter had only one interception over four college seasons.

“He’s done a solid job with the work given,” coach Mike Tomlin said of Porter. “And (against the Ravens), he got more. He did a nice job with the work he was given today.”

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