Pittsburgh Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. has shadowed prime targets for the majority of his profession. While he tried to play coy about that being the plan going into his second season with Donte Jackson as his new working mate, he has continued that very same function in 2024. With the Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb up subsequent although, there's a query of how a lot Porter will observe him. Or extra precisely, to the place.
“I don’t know if I’ll be traveling in the slot or not”, Porter acknowledged, via Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We know [Lamb] likes to move around a lot. Our whole goal is trying to minimize him getting the ball. Whatever that is by gameday, we will try to do it to the best of our ability. He and Dak have had a good tandem going on for a while now. They are definitely our main objective”.
Unlike many No. 1 WRs, CeeDee Lamb does spend lots of time in the slot. During the 2024 season, he has performed 111 snaps in the slot versus 100 out extensive. Notably, nonetheless, he has not been at his finest in the slot this 12 months. Perhaps Joey Porter Jr. can make the most of that truth ought to he observe inside.
According to Pro Football Focus, Lamb has confronted 15 passing targets from the slot, catching eight passes with two drops. He has 61 receiving yards and is 0-for-5 on contested catch alternatives. Last 12 months, nonetheless, he dominated from the slot, and Porter ought to bear that in thoughts. He caught 77 of 113 slot targets for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns, rating second, first, and first.
Interestingly, Pro Football Focus has Porter graded horribly in man protection this season. Yet he has solely confronted 4 targets, permitting three catches for 39 yards and a pressured incompletion. He has logged three slot snaps in protection up to now, permitting one catch on one goal for six yards.
The factor is, the Steelers don’t have an ideal choice for overlaying the slot proper now. Rookie school free agent Beanie Bishop Jr. has taken practically all of their slot protection snaps up to now. On 80 snaps, he has allowed 9 catches on 14 targets for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Porter and Donte Jackson have mixed for seven snaps.
Through the first 4 weeks, Joey Porter Jr. hasn’t had to observe any receivers who play a ton of snaps in the slot. They all do to some extent, like Drake London and Michael Pittman Jr., however none in comparability to CeeDee Lamb.
This will probably be an fascinating take a look at to see how in depth Porter’s duties go. Do the Steelers belief him to observe an elite receiver into the slot, the place he doesn’t have a lot expertise? The indisputable fact that their various is Beanie Bishop might assist sway them. Odds are they'll provide you with a wide range of disguised coverages to present safety, both method.
