PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – You may have seen after the fourth quarter interception Sunday that Joey Porter, Junior handed the ball to head coach Mike Tomlin. He wasn't giving him the game ball, rather early last week Tomlin challenged him to get an interception and hand it to him on the sidelines.
"That's exactly what I did," Porter, Junior said. "I handed it right to him."
Porter then got it back. He's not giving it Tomlin, or his father (like he did with the preseason pick), he's keeping this one. What a first NFL interception for the rookie second-round pick.
Ravens third-and-goal from the five-yard line with 4:10 left in the game, up two points, the Ravens can put it away with a touchdown. Porter guarding former All-Pro Odell Beckham, Junior in his first game back and he had a feeling the Ravens, and Lamar Jackson, would come his way. They did. He turned and picked it off in the end zone.
"Man, just excited," Porter, Junior said describing the scene on the Steelers sidelines like a party. "Just happy to be able to make a play for this team at a crucial moment of the game. I just really put myself in that Steelers-Baltimore rivalry. I'm happy."
Porter took snaps away from veteran Patrick Peterson as Tomlin said he's been bringing Porter along slowly, but that he's earned more time. It happened before that interception, Porter started with the base defense at the beginning of the second half after only playing four snaps in the first half. Tomlin said Porter did a nice job with the work he's given today. Peterson thought that as well.
"He's so tall and long on the outside as a corner it's going to be hard for teams to complete those type of passes on him," Peterson said. "Especially in the red zone like that. That's why we got him. That's why we drafted him. Everything is finally starting to come together for him. I can tell the game is starting to slow down for him."
Sounding more like this brother than the man he is potentially replacing, Peterson said he's proud of Porter. He says he's earned the opportunities with the way he competes in practice.
Porter wouldn't come out and say he deserved to be the starter when the Steelers return from the bye week. He was just thrilled to be able to make a huge play.
"I feel like I did good today," Porter said. "It's always on the coaches what they want and what they see. Hopefully I put enough good tape out there to keep me out there."
Porter said it means everything just to make a play like that in a rivalry so heated his father once boarded the Ravens team bus wanting to fight them all after a game.
"Earlier this week we were talking about this is a regular season game, but it's not like a regular season (game)," Porter said. "When we get in that stadium, it's going to be a chippy, close game. I just made a great play at a great time."
And all will remember it.
Well maybe not all, as Steelers receiver George Pickens was asked about it after the game.
"Oh, I didn't even know," Pickens said he wasn't aware it was Porter that got them the ball that started the drive where he scored the game-winning touchdown. "I swear to God. I didn't even know he got an interception today. I know TJ's fumble. I was all over the place."
"Congratulations to him, for sure."
Congratulations to the Porter family, can't imagine what this moment is like for them.
