The Pittsburgh Steelers need to find a way to get some confidence back on both sides of the ball. The group has dropped three games in a row to the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs. All three opponents are some of the best teams in the NFL, but Pittsburgh failed to stay competitive in any of their three losses. The offense has been inconsistent as usual, while the defense has been extremely concerning as they have been walked all over by opposing offenses as of late.
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Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. makes a tackle during Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The defense in Pittsburgh has been the topic of discussion for the most part as the group has looked nothing like it is supposed to. It is the highest paid defense in the NFL and it has not lived up to its standard in recent weeks. It's crucial the group gets back on track ahead of the postseason, which will be extremely hard to do in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. spoke to the media on Thursday and he shared how the regular season finale is personal for the defense.
"I feel like we all want to get rid of that bad taste," Porter said. "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."
Usually Pittsburgh's defense is one of the most feared in the league, but that hasn't been the case recently. Over the last three games, the group has given up 27, 27, and 29 points. Typically, the group is great at stopping opposing offenses once they get into the red zone, but that has stopped during the second half of the season. The defensive unit seemed to have a large amount of communication issues over the last several weeks that resulted in many busted coverages, but the group should have those issues cleaned up after a 10-day break.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. breaks up a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during his 2023 rookie season.
This game against the Bengals is likely especially personal for Porter. He had arguably the worst game of his career against Cincinnati back in Week 13, where he committed a remarkable six penalties. Most of these flags were thrown while Porter was covering Tee Higgins, who is one of the better wide receivers in the NFL. In the win over the Bengals earlier in the year, Porter committed three pass interferences, two defensive holdings, and one illegal hands to the face. In a game where both teams are fighting for their own playoff implications, that can't happen again.
Cincinnati has one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. Joe Burrow would probably win MVP if the team had done slightly better during the 2024 season, while Ja'Marr Chase is having one of the best seasons for a wide receiver ever. He is on pace to secure the triple crown. Higgins is also arguably the best wide receiver two (WR2) in the league, so it will be a tough task for the Steelers to slow down Cincinnati.
Kyle Hess / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. tries to breakup a pass against the Atlanta Falcons in 2024.
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. May Catch A Break On Saturday
Porter Jr. has been going through a rough stretch of games. The penalties against the Bengals were unacceptable, and he didn't necessarily play well against the Eagles either. The second-year player got hurt against Baltimore, which forced him to miss Week 17, but he is back for the regular season finale. Injury news on the other side of the matchup might make Porter's life a little easier as Higgins is currently listed as questionable.
This game is do or die for the Bengals, so it is unlikely Higgins misses the matchup. Porter and the rest of the defense want to show they are still one of the top units in the league, and the Bengals would be the perfect team to do that against.
What do you think of Porter's remarks? Let us know in the comments below!
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