Rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. opened the regular season playing in the six-defensive backs "Dime" sub-package and closed it by often playing 100 percent of the defensive snaps and by shadowing the opponent's best wide receiver.
But if he's asked to do that again in the playoff opener on Sunday in Buffalo against Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs, it may constitute Porter's most challenging such assignment.
"Joey's been progressing," defensive coordinator Teryl Austin assessed. "But obviously, if he's going to guard (Diggs) and be in the vicinity of him, he's going to have his work cut out for him the entire day.
"You can't take a second off with Stefon because if you do then all of a sudden he's down the field somewhere else and you're looking for him."
Diggs completed the regular season with 107 catches for 1,118 yards and eight receiving touchdowns, his fourth straight season with over 100 receptions and his sixth straight campaign surpassing 1,000 receiving yards.
The Steelers prepare for the Wild Card matchup against the Buffalo Bills
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
The Pittsburgh Steelers during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
The Pittsburgh Steelers during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker coach Aaron Curry and Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee (23) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers special team coordinator Danny Smith during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end DeMarvin Leal (98) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Elijah Riley (37) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers long snapper Christian Kuntz (46) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers head strength and conditioning coach Marcel Pastoor and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mason Cole (61) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Breiden Fehoko (96), Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Montravius Adams (57), and Pittsburgh Steelers guard Nate Herbig (71) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers punter Pressley Harvin III (6) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Allen Robinson II (11) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Miles Boykin (13) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Dez Fitzpatrick (82) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III (19) during practice at Acrisure Stadium preparing for a Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)
The task confronting Porter, should the Steelers opt to play it that way, is one with which Austin has been familiar for quite some time.
"I happened to be at Detroit when Minnesota drafted him," on the fifth round out of Maryland in 2015, Austin recalled. "You know he wasn't a high draft pick, but boy, he jumped on the scene like nobody's business. And you could tell right away he could run routes, he could catch the ball, he was super competitive.
"We have our work cut out for us because it's not like he runs routes from one position. He's all over the field, he knows how to get open, he knows when he needs to break a route off. We've got our work cut out for us there."
Diggs was used extensively in the slot on both sides of the ball in the Bills' regular-season finale at Miami. He also lined up wide-left, wide-right, was sent into motion with regularity and even lined up in the backfield (Diggs had one carry for 5 yards this season).
But Austin isn't concerned about the Bills keeping Diggs away from Porter by lining Diggs up in the slot as often as possible, in the event the Steelers opt to have Porter consistently follow Diggs.
"I don't think so," Austin said. "We're able to do some things if we do want to match up and get the right guys on him. It does create some challenges but that's our job, to make sure we get our guys in the right spots to have an opportunity to succeed against him."
Porter's recent 1-on-1 battle with Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf on Dec. 31 in Seattle played out the way a potential Porter-Diggs confrontation might.
Meltcalf had his moments.
But so did Porter.
"When you sign up to be a corner in the NFL you sign up for that," Austin said. "You're gonna win some, you're gonna lose some, but I think the really great ones are able to come back, maybe when things aren't going their way and they just keep fighting and they make a play at the end when maybe they're not supposed to.
"He's been doing a good job of that. He's very competitive and he doesn't like to lose, I think that works for him. He's got a shot memory, sometimes too short, but I like the way he competes and I like his mental makeup in that regard."
