Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. didn’t play all that much in the past two games because of a knee injury. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t feel the full impact of the team’s 3-game losing streak.
The Baltimore Ravens could clinch the AFC North title before the Steelers-Bengals kickoff. But that doesn’t mean Porter, who is set to return in Week 18 versus the Cincinnati Bengals, and his teammates aren’t itching to play much better in the regular season finale.
“I feel like we all want to get rid of that bad taste,” Porter told Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley on January 2. “Going into this, this is a very personal game for all of us. We’re taking the game very seriously, like every weekend.
“We are just trying to show everybody that we know how to play defense still.”
Whether the Steelers can still win the division or not, they are facing a bitter rival on January 4. The Steelers will sweep the Bengals for a second straight season with a victory on January 4.
Porter and the Steelers could also eliminate the Bengals from playoff competition with a Week 18 victory.
Finally, a Pittsburgh win guarantees the Steelers will be at least the top AFC wild card seed.
Steelers’ Joey Porter Jr. Seeking Redemption vs. Bengals
Week 18 will be the final opportunity for the Steelers to get back on track before the playoffs. That makes it important for the entire Steelers roster. But the matchup with the Bengals is more personal for Porter.
In the Steelers-Bengals first matchup, Porter committed four accepted penalties. He also committed another two fouls that were declined.
Those penalties mostly came while trying to defend Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. Porter explained that he is looking forward to another opportunity against Higgins.
“Definitely going to see Higgins again,” said Porter. “I think overall, he’s a good receiver. He’s got a lot of good qualities in his game that I like.
“He can go attack the ball. He’s pretty fast, so it’s going to be a good matchup.”
Higgins finished the Week 12 matchup against the Steelers with 5 catches on 10 targets. He also had 69 receiving yards and 1 touchdown.
Porter Set to Return From Knee Injury
In large part because of penalties, Porter has experienced an inconsistent second NFL season. But the Steelers still missed him in the second half against the Ravens in Week 16 and on December 25 versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Steelers secondary gave up 518 passing yards and 6 passing touchdowns in those two contests. The unit also only recorded 1 interception.
Without Porter, Cory Trice and Cameron Sutton both played a lot against the Chiefs. James Pierre also lined up for 18 defensive snaps.
Those cornerbacks are decent role players, but they aren’t as likely to hold up in coverage over an entire game as Porter. That could especially be the case against Higgins and quarterback Joe Burrow.
Burrow leads the NFL with 4,641 passing yards and 42 passing touchdowns. He’s registered at least 250 passing yards and 3 touchdowns in each of the past eight games.
“They’re just clicking. They’ve got Joe Burrow, great quarterback and they’ve got some good talent on the outside,” said Porter. “They’re just clicking, spreading the ball around and really just catching balls and making plays.”
Burrow completed 28 of 38 passes for 309 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception versus the Steelers on December 1.
