Steelers CB Calls Out Refs After Bengals Game

Porter Jr. Calls Out Referees

The Bengals' offense presents a unique challenge to opposing defenses because they boast one of the top wide receiver duos in the league with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Porter Jr. didn't lend much credence to that notion, however, inferring that Pittsburgh's defense could've held them in check had the officials not been as stingy with their calls.

"No, not really," Porter Jr. said. "We've got the guys to do it, they just gotta let us play."

When asked for further clarification as to what he meant, the third-year corner admitted that he didn't agree with some of the penalties bestowed upon the Steelers throughout the game.

"I wasn't a big fan of the calls today with the officiating," Porter Jr. said. "But it is what it is. It's football."

He also revealed that he asked the referees on the field for an explanation for some of the calls, but stated that the explanation wasn't of much substance.

"I was trying to figure it out, but he wasn't really saying nothing educational to learn from, so it was pointless," Porter Jr. said.

Penalty Disparity

When it was all said and done, the Steelers were tagged with seven penalties for 59 yards while the Bengals finished with four infractions for 35 yards.

Porter Jr. himself was called for a defensive pass interference while in coverage on Chase during the first quarter before being called for the same exact infraction, this time on Higgins, in the closing seconds of the first half before the Bengals kicked a field goal that extended their lead to 17-10.

Steelers' Defensive Woes

For as much of a gripe as Porter Jr. may have with some of the calls the crew made, Pittsburgh's defense as a whole fell well short of expectations against the Bengals.

Joe Flacco, who was making just his second start for Cincinnati following a trade from the Cleveland Browns, completed 31 of his 47 attempts for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Chase and Higgins finished with yard totals of 161 and 96, respectively, while the former hauled in an almost unfathomable 16 passes.

Additionally, Chase Brown racked up 108 yards on 11 carries after not having more than 47 in a single game this season coming into the day.

It felt as though the Steelers' defense had turned a corner over the past few weeks after getting off to a rough start, but the unit completely regressed under the lights in Cincinnati.