Joey Porter Jr., Ben Skowronek leave Steelers loss to Ravens because of injury
BALTIMORE — Pittsburgh Steelers starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and depth wide receiver Ben Skowronek could not finish Saturday’s loss at the Baltimore Ravens because of injuries suffered during the first quarter.
Porter and Skowronek each briefly returned to the game in the second half but again left.
Porter had what was initially described as a calf injury but after the game was clarified by the team as a knee ailment that affected other parts of his leg, including the calf.
“I don’t have a lot of detail there,” coach Mike Tomlin said after the game, adding that he would provide an update during a news conference Sunday.
The Steelers have only four days off and one practice in advance of their next game Wednesday at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Skowronek suffered a hip injury. He had two catches for 25 yards during a first-quarter drive that ended up in a Steelers touchdown. He was playing an elevated role the past three games while No. 1 WR George Pickens has been out because of a hamstring injury.
The loss of Porter was exacerbated by the fact that the Steelers played in Baltimore without their other starting outside cornerback, Donte Jackson. Jackson suffered a back injury during last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Steelers played most of Saturday’s game with James Pierre and Cory Trice as their outside cornerbacks. Trice was in uniform for his fourth career game and hadn’t played since September.
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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