Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. Disses Falcons WR

The Pittsburgh Steelers' top cornerback threw some shade after a strong Week 1 performance.

Aug 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) gestures to the crowd against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has never been one to shy away from trash talk, but it was particularly warranted following his performance in the team's Week 1 win against the Atlanta Falcons.

Porter Jr. shadowed Falcons No. 1 wide receiver Drake London for most of the game and was the leading factor in his pedestrian day at the office.

London caught just two passes for 15 yards on three targets from Kirk Cousins in what was an all-around poor showing by Atlanta's offense. Furthermore, the third-year receiver and former first-round pick averaged just 0.54 yards per route run while Cousins had a passer rating of 38.9 when targeting him.

It was a disappointing outing to begin the year for London, who recorded 905 receiving yards on 69 catches last season and was primed for a breakout campaign within the Falcons' new system.

Porter Jr. threw some shade towards London in an interview with Dale Lolley of Steelers.com, where he poked fun at his fruitless performance.

"Yeah, he did a little warm up today," Porter Jr. said. "It was good."

The second-year corner also stated that following London around was the plan from the jump, as it presented a logical matchup on his end due to their similar builds.

"That was the whole plan," Porter said. "We've got the same body types. That was the main thing."

Pittsburgh's defense held the Falcons to 226 yards of total offense, 10 points and -0.369 average EPA per play while forcing three turnovers in what proved to be an uneven clash of the two units.

Porter Jr. heaped praise upon the entire secondary for their work in the contest and believes they can hold their own against any offense in the league.

"... I feel like we're a very talented secondary," Porter Jr. said. "When there's matchups, we can spread around and guard guys. D-Jack can cover anybody on the field and I feel like I can do the same thing, so that's how we go."

Porter Jr. will face a slew of top receivers as the Steelers' No. 1 corner, but he set the tone for a strong campaign with his production in Week 1.

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