‘Referees get pushed off’: Joey Porter Jr. says AJ Brown is ‘one of those guys’ who doesn’t draw flags

Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. knows WR AJ Brown got the upper hand yesterday — but he also knows the way the referees officiated the game helped him. Unlike some other games, they allowed a lot of contact between receivers and defensive backs. And Brown and the Eagles certainly took advantage of that, Porter believes.

“I mean, the refs had them kicked off,” Chris Adamski quoted Porter as saying for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “At the end of the day, that’s what’s on the tape. (AJ Brown is) just one of those guys that you know they’re not going to call it that.”

Although his numbers have declined this season, AJ Brown is still one of the most talented receivers playing today. The Eagles simply ran the ball a lot more often, which led to a sharp decline in pass targets. Philadelphia attacked the Steelers and Joey Porter Jr.’s passing game to great effect this week, however.

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts went 25 of 32 for 290 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Both Brown and DeVonta Smith caught more than eight passes for more than 100 yards and a score. Brown caught eight of eleven balls for 110 and a touchdown. And he did a lot of his work against Porter, some of it certainly involving some physicality.

While he pointed this out, Porter refused to use Brown’s physicality and possible favoritism as an excuse. “I still have to play my technique and do my thing,” Adamski quoted him as saying. “We just take credit for it and keep working.”

Just a few weeks ago, Steelers HC Mike Tomlin talked about Joey Porter Jr. preferring to play physical. Although he wants that physical component, he also knows that you can’t get half a dozen penalties per game. I don’t think the Steelers’ work to limit his penalties had a negative effect on this game, but Brown certainly managed to take advantage.

Meanwhile, Porter and the Steelers take on the Ravens, with QB Lamar Jackson having a five-touchdown game. There is no rest for the weary as they have to play on Saturday and fly to Baltimore. The only good news is that they have a chance to wipe the taste of loss from their mouths. If they lose, the taste will of course be even more bitter.

The Steelers may need Joey Porter Jr. more than ever now that Donte Jackson is dealing with a back injury. Although James Pierre has made some plays here and there, he’s not necessarily someone you want in the starting lineup. However, the Steelers could use Cory Trice Jr. in place of Pierre if Jackson were to miss an entire game.