Pittsburgh Steelers Finally Make Change They Needed

The Pittsburgh Steelers finally made the change their defense needed, and it paid off in a big way. Entering the second of their Week 5 win over the Baltimore Ravens, the team put rookie Joey Porter Jr. in with their base defense, and who would’ve thought – it worked.

The Steelers’ secondary has been a clear weak spot for a group that has had some very impressive flashes this season. With Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace, they struggled to keep up with shifter wideouts. Both are players you want on the field, but not for the 95% of the snaps they were getting.

What they needed was another option. That option was Porter Jr., but the change just never seemed to come. Week after week, the team discussed an uptick in playing time, but also discussed how he was ready to take on a bigger role just yet.

“He’s working hard. I like the way he’s working, he’s making strides. Is he ready for full time right now? I’m not sure I can say I really feel great about that,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said last week. “But yes, he is working in the right direction, he’s trending in the right direction and at some point we expect him to be out there.”

Well, that time has come, and it paid off in a big way.

With four minutes left in the game, on their own five-yard line, Pittsburgh’s defense was faced with a drive that could change the course of their season. Following a fumble by Gunner Olszewski on a punt return, Baltimore had all the momentum and a very solid chance to put a 10-8 game away in the fourth quarter.

Dropping back on 3rd and 5, Lamar Jackson looked Odell Beckham Jr.’s way and threw the pass. Porter walked away with it.

“I just really put myself in that Steelers-Baltimore rivalry,” Porter Jr. said. “It means everything. Earlier in the week, we were talking about how this is a regular season game, but it’s not like the regular season. When we get in that stadium, it’s going to be a chippy, close game and I just made a great play at a great time.”

From here, Porter Jr. should work his way into the starting lineup, maybe not immediately, but certainly overtime. This is the beginning of a secondary that includes the 32nd-overall pick, and hopefully a spark the group needed.

What comes is yet to be known, but for now, the Steelers took a step in the right direction. And finally, they made a change that could be a difference-maker moving forward.