The Pittsburgh Steelers emerged victorious in Week 3, but their defensive secondary exposed a glaring physical limitation that opponents will continue to target. Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. found himself locked in brutal size mismatches against premier wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, surrendering two costly touchdown passes.
While Samuel brings speed and quickness to the slot and sub-packages, asking the 5-foot-10 corner to hold the boundary against massive perimeter threats proved disastrous. As noted by host Christopher Carter on his “Locked on Steelers” podcast, Samuel faced an uphill battle.
“Asante Samuel Jr. is a smaller, quicker guy and it is tough matching up with those bigger bodied receivers there,” noted Carter regarding Samuel’s
challenge in stopping taller receivers.
Samuel’s struggles eventually forced Pittsburgh’s coaching staff to bench him in favor of rookie Daylen Everette. However, the defensive breakdown underscores a larger problem: the absence of top boundary cornerback Joey Porter Jr., whose length and physical pressing capability were built specifically for these AFC North matchups.
Beat reporter Alan Saunders was Carter’s guest on the show, and he emphasized the frustration surrounding Porter’s availability, or lack thereof.
“You give Joey a couple skulls for that game because that's why he's on this roster, is to play those guys. If he hurt his back on July 28th and it still bothered him enough that he can't play, even if that's true, he's got to own some of that,” said Samuel.
Although Porter logged a full walkthrough practice on Monday, questions remain regarding his readiness for Thursday Night Football. What is clear, however, is that Pittsburgh cannot afford to roll out undersized matchups against heavy-hitting offenses.
To solidify their secondary and defend downfield jump balls, getting a healthy Porter back onto the outside must be the team's top priority.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Secondary flaw Steelers must fix immediately before Week 3
