How Joey Porter Jr. Fared in First Game With Cowboys Since Trade From Steelers

Here's how Joey Porter Jr. performed in his Dallas Cowboys debut in the Week 4 game against the Houston Texans.

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) laughs on the sideline while watching a practice session at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. made both his season and Dallas Cowboys debut on Sunday in the win over the Houston Texans.

Porter had sat out the first three games with a supposed back injury that magically healed up when he arrived in Dallas after being traded by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite having just days between the trade and the Week 4 game against the Houston Texans on Sunday, Porter, who was not on the Cowboys' injury report, was ready to roll against Houston, albeit on limited snaps.

Porter played 24 of a possible 52 defensive snaps in his debut, and according to Next Gen Stats, he was targeted once in 19 coverage snaps and did not permit a completion.

Porter was matched up against Houston's No. 1 wide receiver, Nico Collins, five times and was not targeted.

As far as the rest of the box score goes, Porter did not record a stat, as he finished without a tackle in the contest.

It was very clear the Texans had no intention of challenging the 24-year-old cornerback throughout the game, which just goes to show how much respect teams have for him.

The Joey Porter Jr. effect

Football - NFL - Baltimore Ravens v Dallas Cowboys - Estadio Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - September 27, 2026 Dallas Cowboys' DaRon Bland runs out onto the pitch before the match REUTERS/Sergio Moraes REFILE - CORRECTING ID | REUTERS

While it's impressive to see how little the Texans challenged Porter, that also meant Houston went after Dallas' other cornerbacks instead, which didn't end well.

DaRon Bland was tied for the most targets on the team with six, and he gave up five receptions for 104 yards, with those marks ranking tied for the most and the most on the team.

Reddy Stewart, who played in the slot with Caleb Downs operating mostly at safety thanks to injuries at the position, gave up three catches on four targets for 48 yards. All three of those catches came on one drive.

Dallas' other cornerbacks, Shavon Revel and Ameer Speed, were not targeted at all. Revel played just seven snaps, though, and Speed played 23.

The good news is, the Cowboys will have to rely on those guys less and less as Porter builds up his snap count.

Change is needed

Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) during training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dallas needs to be less dependent on Bland, whose job should be in serious danger after yet another disappointing performance on Sunday.

Once Cobie Durant comes back from injury, he should be the one starting across from Porter, although that may not be possible because the Cowboys might need him in the slot with Caleb Downs at safety because of injuries at the position.

Putting all of that aside for now, Porter's first game with Dallas was a success, as he completely shut down one side of the field, just how the Cowboys wanted him to.

And Dallas will hope he can play a full allotment of snaps in Week 5, when the Cowboys will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.

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