The rookie corner used his physicality to bump Hopkins at the line. Porter pressed Hopkins on 20 of his 26 routes, per NGS. The rookie did draw a defensive hold that extended the Titans’ final drive, but on the whole, Porter’s bully style slowed Hopkins, allowing 1.6 yards per target separation.
“D-Hop is one of the tops in this league, he’s been doing it a long time, so definitely a lot of respect for him, but I’m the young guy so I’ve got to show him what I’ve got,” Porter said. “He kept asking for calls. I was like, ‘You’re doing the pushing. How can you ask for calls when you’re doing the pushing?’ “
The Steelers don’t generally travel their corners, particularly one as young as Porter, but the more he’s been given a chance this season, the more he’s shown he can handle the work. In the past three weeks, Porter’s seen his play-time skyrocket after not garnering more than 25 snaps in a game through the first five weeks. He’s been stellar in his first two career starts. Porter entered TNF forcing a tight window throw on 63.6% of targets in man coverage in 2023 (tops in the NFL, min. 10 targets), per NGS. He continued to prove a sticky cover against Hopkins in Week 9.
“I just got to keep working, keep grinding,” Porter said. “Some rookies always hit their high ceiling, and then it’s the rookie slump, so I just got to keep working. Like I said before, just chop wood, carry water and just look forward to the next week.”
The rookie’s to-do list: Chop wood. Carry water. Contain wideouts.