The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season appeared to be slipping away until it wasn’t.
The Steelers had lost five of their previous seven games before beating the Baltimore Ravens 27-22 last Sunday in a showdown for first place in the AFC North. Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. believes it was the kind of win that could power his team to a late-season surge.
"We just have to believe in one thing, and all chase the same thing, and I feel like we'll win every game," Porter said.
The Steelers (7-6) have four games remaining, starting on Monday night when they host the Miami Dolphins (6-7) at Acrisure Stadium. They then visit the Detroit Lions and wrap up the regular season by hosting the Cleveland Browns and Ravens.
The Steelers are 1-0 in December with the win over the Ravens. Last season, the Steelers won their first two games in December to improve to 10-3. Then came a major collapse as the Steelers lost their last five games, including a loss to the Ravens in an AFC wild-card game.
However, Porter says the Steelers plan to make this December different. He feels the Steelers can finish strong and get to the playoffs with positive momentum.
"We've been trying to say we've been going on this December run and pick up what we've been slacking," Porter said. "So, it's December ball. This is where it really matters the most. Where you can really make your plays and make your money. We're all locked in, we're all really motivated to keep putting good football out there."
The Steelers had to hold on for the five-point win in Baltimore after building a 20-9 lead. However, the Steelers stopped the Ravens in Pittsburgh territory on each of Baltimore’s final two possessions. That was a welcome change of pace for the Steelers, who are 28th in the NFL in total defense.
“Just standing tall when we needed to," Porter said. "We already knew in games when we lean on the defense to make those game-stopping plays, and every time our name was called, we made those plays; somebody stepped up and made their plays. So, we just have got to continue to keep doing that and keep fighting."