Mike Tomlin’s Brave Joey Porter Decision Pays Off as Titans’ DeAndre Hopkins Musters Just 5 Yards Against the Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers gained a starting corner after losing the Jacksonville Jaguars game. The second-round pick Joey Porter Jr. replaced injured Levi Wallace for the Sunday game, and what happened next secured a place for Porter in the team.

Porter Jr. impressed the Steelers in his NFL debut and was subsequently named the starting member of the team for Thursday night football against the Tennessee Titans. He recently impressed his team’s coach, Mike Tomlin, once again after showcasing his confidence and unique gameplay. For this, he requested his coach, the video of which is going viral.

Joey Porter Jr. is the new weapon of Mike Tomlin!

No matter who comes in now at the position of cornerback, Joey Porter Jr. isn’t moving anywhere. The Steelers promoted a rookie cornerback into a starting role, which paid off. Throughout the game, it was visible that Porter Jr. was shadowing Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins. It was a different game played by the Steelers, as they usually keep their cornerbacks on one side of the field.

However, this time, in an unexpected move, Porter followed Hopkins wherever he moved. So, it’s clear that wasn’t a coincidence, as Porter revealed that was the matchup he requested. In a post-game interview in the locker room, the cornerback said he requested “#Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to shadow #Titans DeAndre Hopkins, ‘I want 10.’ That’s what I was looking for….I said, ‘That’s the matchup I want, that’s the matchup I need.’” Similarly, he “put the clamps” on Rams’ Puka Nacua in their last meetup.

Read more: “I Feel Like Geno”- DeAndre Hopkins Shouts Out Seahawks QB After a Dominant 128-Yard Performance

With this approach, in the recent game, Porter could hold Hopkins to 1 reception for 17 yards on five targets. As a result, the Steelers pulled a victory on Thursday night football at Acrisure Stadium.

Joey Porter Jr. vs. DeAndre Hopkins

Mike Tomlin’s trump card, Joey Porter Jr., made 7 targets, 3 tackles, allowed 1 catch, and defended 1 pass. Although Porter had five penalties in the game against the Tennessee Titans, the Steelers led to upset Titans with 20-16.

On the other hand, DeAndre Hopkins was coming off a game with 128 yards and 3 TDs; however, in this matchup, he didn’t have an easy game because of rookie Porter Jr. He could only finish the game with four catches for 60 yards on Thursday.

Limiting Hopkins the way Porter did in the game is extremely impressive. With this, he secured his starting position with the team effectively and gained respect and confidence from his team and coach, Tomlin.

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