The Pittsburgh Steelers face a crucial game in Week 15 when they travel across the state of Pennsylvania to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. It is something of a measuring stick game for both teams, as the Steelers lead the AFC North with their 10-3 record while the Eagles are first in the NFC East with an 11-2 mark. The Steelers feature a hard-hitting defense, and CB Joey Porter Jr. is one of the key performers.
When Porter takes the field at Lincoln Financial Field, he will be feeling the sting of having lost some of his cash. Porter was fined $11,817 by the NFL for an unnecessary roughness penalty he took in Week 14 against the Cleveland Browns. Porter was fined after his retaliatory blow to the facemask of wide receiver Michael Woods in the second half of that game.
It was a costly penalty at the time because it gave the Browns a first down and allowed Cleveland to continue its drive. However, the Browns were unable to put points on the board as a result, because placekicker Dustin Hopkins was unsuccessful on an ensuing field goal attempt.
The Steelers were able to demonstrate their superiority throughout the majority of the game as they registered a 27-14 victory over their long-time AFC North rivals.
Steelers have exceeded expectation in 2024
While the Steelers have always been competitive under the leadership of head coach Mike Tomlin, few expected Pittsburgh to sit in first place in the division with a 2-game lead over the Baltimore Ravens with just four games remaining in the regular season.
The Steelers have gotten a lift this season from new quarterback Russell Wilson, but it’s the Steelers defense that comes to play every week and gives the team an excellent chance to be successful.
Porter is clearly one of the key performers for the defense. He has 56 tackles and that ranks 4th on the team in stops. Porter has also contributed 2 tackles for loss, 5 passes defensed and 1 interception that he returned 16 yards.
Linebacker T.J. Watt is clearly the team’s best all-around player. He leads the team with 9.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and 5 forced fumbles. Watt has also registered 47 tackles.
Porter and the Steelers secondary will be under pressure against the Eagles passing game. Philadelphia ranks sixth in yards gained this season with an average of 376.4 yard per game. The secondary will have to slow down quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith along with tight end Dallas Goedert.
Brown has caught 48 passes for 836 yards with 4 touchdowns, while Smith has caught 45-553-6. Porter will try to do his part to slow down the Philadelphia passing game without incurring any unnecessary penalties.
