Joey Porter Jr.’s Cowboys debut was decent. Expect more vs. Bucs | Latest NFL News, Analysis & Updates

Success at some positions can be easier to explain through statistics than others. Cornerback can be tricky. Interceptions and pass breakups are often used when discussing the NFL’s best.

But then there’s the game Joey Porter Jr. had in his Dallas Cowboys debut last Sunday at Houston. He was on the field for 25 defensive snaps, four days after being traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud only threw in his direction one time and the pass didn’t come close to being completed. On the other 24 snaps, Stroud rarely even looked at the receiver Porter was defending. That included the five snaps against Texans star wide receiver Nico Collins. Considering it was Porter’s first game of the season, it was somewhat surprising Stroud didn’t challenge him.

“Great start to his career here in Dallas,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said of Porter. “The instincts show up. Some guys know how to play the game. … I thought you saw a very confident player. And that’s what we knew we were getting. But to be able to go and do that and have them not have much success in terms of wanting to target him, that’s a good thing.”

Looking back at the All-22 film from the game, Porter was lined up as the boundary cornerback for almost his entire workload. It’s a spot he’s excelled at in his four-year career and expected to play quite often in Christian Parker’s defensive scheme.

During the Texans’ 11 possessions, Porter defended wide receiver Kayshon Boutte most. It appeared like Houston was fine with having Porter over there, keeping Collins on the opposite side going against Dallas cornerbacks DaRon Bland, Reddy Steward and Ameer Speed.

Collins had a good game, catching seven of his eight targets for 118 yards and two touchdowns. But things might have been different if Porter was playing the entire game. He was never on the field for more than four plays on any one possession.

Having had more time to prepare for Thursday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Porter should see an increase in playing time. He said this week that he has made strides with his conditioning and understanding of the playbook. He added that he’s comfortable playing an entire game but he’s leaving those decisions up to the coaches.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday on 105.3 The Fan that Porter exceeded his expectations in his Dallas debut.

“His physical abilities will serve us (well),” Jones said. “They just don’t go there because they know what he’s capable of and he’s basically got him covered out there. Now, he will get tested. He’s not Deion Sanders out there where they just don’t go there. He will get tested, but I was real pleased with what we got out of him Sunday.”

Houston’s most noteworthy possession of the second half came midway through the fourth quarter. The nine-play drive included receptions of 26 yards, 22 yards, 21 yards and 13 yards. Porter wasn’t on the field for any of those big plays nor the 6-yard touchdown run that gave the Texans a 30-27 lead. It doesn’t seem like a stretch to think some of those plays might have gone differently with Porter on the field.

The Cowboys’ defense has been worse than expected to start the season. They desperately need more playmakers. Porter steps in and he’s immediately at the top of that list, along with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The difference with top cornerbacks is that they usually are on the field for every play. The quicker Porter understands everything Parker is trying to do, the more comfortable the Cowboys will be with playing him the entire game.

“I feel like there are no limits to what you can do with me on the football field,” Porter said. “At the end of the day, I feel like I’m a ball player. With that, I feel like I can go anywhere and do what I do.”

When having a top cornerback like Porter, many want him to shadow the other team’s best wide receiver. Parker’s system seems to suggest Porter will stay on the boundary, taking away that part of the field. That then allows the other cornerbacks and safeties to team up on the remaining two or three pass catchers on the rest of the field.

The argument against that is opposing offensive coordinators will just line up their top pass catcher on the opposite side of Porter.

“The system allows for you to man-up like that and really isolate up like that,” Jones said. “The system does allow that and his coverage skills can dictate your thinking in that direction. … That’s what he brings to the table. In a manner of speaking, he’s different. He really is. He’s got some exceptional aspects to him. That’s why we traded for him and feel really fortunate. I really was excited when we got that trade done.”

Porter has no issues traveling with opponents’ No. 1 wide receivers.

“When a team gives you that ability to go out there and lock in on a No. 1 guy, they really trust you out there,” he said. “So whenever I get that call, that’s an exciting task for me.”

One trade won’t fix everything overnight. Dallas is still struggling to rush the passer. Schottenheimer and the coaching staff are hopeful Porter can help take away a significant chunk of the field and maybe even the other team’s No. 1 wide receiver. Do that and maybe an extra second or two is created for the pass rush to get to the quarterback.

“I think it was just built in me,” Porter said of facing opponents’ top receiving threats. “I think it’s a Porter thing. It’s how my family and all of us look at it. I’ve been like that since I was a young kid. Ever since I moved to corner, that’s what I’ve been looking for. It’s nothing really new for me.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.