Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. got in on 25 snaps in his Cowboys debut, playing less than half of the team's Week 4 win over Houston just days after joining the team. Then in Week 5, he was a surprise scratch, sent home shortly before kickoff with an illness.
In Week 6, though, he expects to be in uniform, on the field, and back to full strength when the Cowboys visit Lambeau Field for a critical showdown against the Packers.
As in, no pitch count. No limitations. Full go.
"That's what I'm shooting for. That's what they're shooting for as well," Porter said per the team website. "So that's what we're gonna try to do."
Porter also explained the unfortunately-timed illness that kept him out of last week's lineup.
"My throat was itchy in the morning when
we had our little walkthroughs, and I was trying to get on top of it," he said, according to ESPN's Todd Archer. "Then throughout the day, it just kept getting worse and worse."
By Thursday evening, though, his condition had taken a significant slide.
"I really just couldn't hold anything down," he said Wednesday after returning to practice. "You know, I just kept throwing up. I tried to fight through. I tried to take a nap before the game, just to shake it off, but I just couldn't hold anything down."
Porter missed the team bus to AT&T Stadium, later hailing his own ride to try to make warmups.
"I was throwing up outside of my Uber on the way to the game," he said. "It was brutal."
The 26-year-old nevertheless made the attempt to prepare to play, but the team made the call to send him home. Cameras spotted Porter leaving the locker room, a team employee nearby carrying a trash can just in case.
The Cowboys went on to lose to the previously winless Buccaneers by a 24-16 score. The Dallas defense allowed a season-high 419 yard of offense, allowing Tampa Bay rookie quarterback to go 19-of-25 passing for 189 yards and a touchdown in his second NFL start.
And Porter, acquired Sept. 30 in a trade with Pittsburgh specifically to shut down opposing passers, wasn't even in the building.
"It was very frustrating," he continued. "I was prepared to play all week. My mindset was on playing, the mindset was to get the dub, and obviously I didn't get to do that, and we didn't get the dub. So I was pretty pissed with my couple days off."
The extra days of the mini-bye week have helped Porter recuperate fully, but they've also afforded him the opportunity to better study the defensive playbook.
Through five games, the Cowboys defense is giving up the second-most yards in the league, and allowing the third-highest completion percentage in football. No unit is more porous on third down conversion attempts. They are the only NFL team without an interception.
So Porter's presence on the field will be a welcome sight for Cowboys fans.
But it is worth watching that Porter was limited in Wednesday's work session, with what was described on the practice report as an ankle injury.
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys CB Joey Porter Jr. over illness, 'shooting for' no pitch count Week 6 vs Packers
