'He's no longer taking a cookie-cutter approach' – Steelers’ Mike Tomlin sounds off on Joey Porter Jr.’s big change
Joey Porter Jr. is quietly having an excellent season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The reason that's it quiet is that he spends most of his time shutting down opposing WRs, with targets seldom coming his way (Ask New York Jets WR Davante Adams). But for those watching closely, you can see some major strides in […]
Joey Porter Jr. is quietly having an excellent season for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The reason that's it quiet is that he spends most of his time shutting down opposing WRs, with targets seldom coming his way (Ask New York Jets WR Davante Adams).
But for those watching closely, you can see some major strides in JPJ's game, with Coach Tomlin explaining why that is on Tuesday:
Joey Porter Jr. brings a new level of attention to detail
"I thought Joey was really solid [against the New York Jets], and I think he is getting more solid because of the attention to detail and the urgency that he's taken to practice," Coach Tomlin said when asked about Peezy Jr.'s development. "He's really evolving and developing as a professional in terms of where to set his energy and focus his energies and practice settings. And oftentimes that changes week to week because of the challenges that you face. Change week to week. The schematics you choose to employ change week to week. The talent on the other side changes…
"…And so it requires different adjustments. I think that he's no longer taking the cookie cutters approach to his prep. I think he's got enough experience now where he's able to cater his approach to best position himself to perform with a high level of consistency."
For Porter Jr. the coverage skills and ability to shut down opposing WRs were evident in his rookie season, and have certainly carried over thus far in 2024. But as a rookie, Porter struggled in two main areas, penalties and tackling.
He is visibly less handsy in his encounters leading to less holding and pass interference calls. He has multiple tackles for loss on the season and has sured up his woes in open space significantly compared to last year and his time at Penn State.
So attention to deal, getting outside of the box, or just getting more comfortable in the NFL, whatever the reason for Porter Jr.s continued success, it's working.
Mike Tomlin confirms Steelers rookie WR was a healthy scratch vs. Jets due to lack of preparation
He’s been unable to jump on the moving train.
