Steelers' Joey Porter Jr Is "In A Big Rut" Similar To A Former Pittsburgh Great Early In His Career

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the highest-paid defense in the league, so there have been huge expectations of them all season. While overall, the defense has performed well through the first 3/4s of the season, that wasn't the case against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. That was particularly true of the secondary, who seemed surprised that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had A.J. Brown at his disposal.

Brown and Hurts showed no signs of the off-field drama that's brewing in Philadelphia, and the Steelers seemed unprepared for the duo. Brown had 110 receiving yards and a touchdown. Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has been off his game lately. He drew six penalties, and four were accepted in their recent win over the Cincinnati Bengals. In the game against the Eagles, he dropped an interception.   

Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show joined 93.7 The Fan Morning Show on Monday after the game to break down what went wrong. Co-host Dorin Dickerson asked him what he thinks of Porter and the way he has been playing. 

"He's in a rut, man," lamented Kaboly. "He's in a big rut. If it's penalties, if it's tackling now, if it's giving up plays. I don't know what it is. I think he's an extremely talented individual, but you go through those lulls where nothing seems to be working, and I think he's in one of those right now. If he doesn't get things cleaned up here, especially if Jackson is out for any extended period of time."

That wasn't Porter's only gaffe during the game; near the end of the third quarter, he missed a tackle on Kenneth Gainwell that would have stopped him short of a first down. The miss by Porter allowed Gainwell to get to the two-yard line. They were soon able to score a touchdown. 

Kaboly said he also isn't a fan of Porter making excuses after the game. He felt like he played poorly and should have just acknowledged that; instead, he complained to the media about being pushed off on. According to Kaboly, the reality is that he hasn't played well in a month. Regardless, he doesn't see this as a "competency" issue. He said Porter may be just getting in his head, but it is too soon to panic. 

"He's really improved his game of tackling, and it's just getting into his head, and all of a sudden, he turns around and says, 'Ah, I don't know what to do,' and he's a step late and doesn't make the tackle," added Kaboly. "Stuff like that can snowball. Like I said, he's extremely talented. I know it was 20 years ago, but Bill Cowher benched Ike Taylor because he stunk. And Ike Taylor is arguably a top two/three cornerback of all-time concerning the Steelers. People go through these types of lulls. Just hoping that is the case. I would assume so because he's just very talented."

Kaboly added this was especially frustrating because the Steelers have been a solid tackling defense this season. The loss against the Eagles does not define them as a unit. However, they must tighten back up, especially as they head into the playoffs.  

The Steelers kicked off the toughest stretch of their season against the Eagles. They will now face the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, and then the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.  

Steelers' Donte Jackson Is A Comeback Kid

During the loss to the Eagles, cornerback Donte Jackson went out with a back injury. While Jackson hadn't been playing well before being hurt in that game, he has been an integral part of this defense. 

Kaboly pointed out that he believes having Jackson returning to the lineup is critical. The good news, he said, is that Jackson seems to get banged up quite a bit, but he always manages to return. He hopes that will be the case here. 

What do you think is going on with Porter? Click to comment below. 

#SteelerNation