Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Puts Loads Of Faith In Young Star Ahead Of Big Wild Card Game Against Texans

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a tough task coming up in their Wild Card game on Monday night. They are going up against a Houston Texans team that has won nine straight, has statistically the best defense in the NFL, and has a young offense that can be explosive if you take them lightly. If Pittsburgh prepares for this playoff game the same way it prepared for the previous six, Houston will most likely go into halftime with a big lead. This may be the toughest team the Steelers have had to face this season. 

While hosting his show, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger spoke about a way to stop the Texans' offense from going off, and it involved one young defensive back that is turning into a star before our very eyes.

"My son said to me, 'How are we going to stop Nico Collins?' I said, 'I'd put Joey Porter [Jr.] on him,'" said Roethlisberger. "I'll let Joey follow him just like he's Ike Taylor... I trust him playing against a guy like that and being like, 'You know what? You got him.' Maybe this is asking a lot and maybe this is too much; I would strongly consider not even giving [safety] help. We used to do that with Ike. 'Troy [Polamalu], you can peek,' but I'm not putting a safety over the top like it's DK Metcalf."

That just shows how much faith Roethlisberger has in third-year cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Wide receiver Nico Collins is one of the best in the NFL. He ended the 2025 regular season with 71 receptions, over 1,100 yards, and six touchdowns. He is the main consistent piece of that inconsistent offense, and the former Steelers quarterback wants to see Porter lock him down one-on-one all game long. 

Porter has slowly been gaining more and more respect across league circles. Coming into the season, he was seen as a decent cornerback that could not play his game without getting flagged. Now, he is a shutdown corner that does not let any receiver get the best of him while playing in press coverage. Once he knocks the receiver off his route from the line of scrimmage, it's over for that play.

On top of that, Porter has not been penalized nearly as much as he has in previous years. There is still the occasional holding penalty, but when a team's wideout is getting locked down throughout the game, a holding penalty here and there is not really a problem. He has not had an accepted flag against him since Week 14. After that, one flag was thrown on him in Week 18, which was declined. 

Steelers Need Defense To Play At High Level

All parties are to blame for the Steelers' constant failure to even look competitive in a playoff game in almost nine calendar years, but with a typical Pittsburgh team, everything starts with the defense. If they can limit the Texans' offense and keep them from scoring a ton immediately, there is a chance to win this game. If Porter can lock down Collins all game long, that is a big start to accomplishing this feat. 

What do you think about Roethlisberger wanting Porter to shadow Collins without any safety help at all? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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