The Baltimore Ravens are serving a hefty serving of Derrick Henry early in a pivotal AFC North matchup, which can be a tough meal for any defense to swallow. Henry’s bruising style claimed one victim early as Joey Porter Jr. left the game after attempting to tackle the veteran powerhouse.

Broadcast replay showed Porter go for a tackle on Henry in the red zone as he took the brunt of the hit to his upper body. Porter remained on the turf before being helped off the field.

Porter is listed as questionable to return with a calf injury.

The Steelers are already down one cornerback and one safety in the defensive secondary. Losing Joey Porter Jr. for any amount of time would only serve to exacerbate the issues the defense is facing on the backend.

James Pierre is already in for Donte Jackson on the opposite side, but now Cory Trice will fill in for Porter.

Steelers secondary is razor thin vs. Ravens

With Pierre, Trice, and Beanie Bishop as the primary cornerbacks, the Steelers don’t have much experience or consistency to lean on at the position. It’s possible Cameron Sutton could see a few extra snaps, especially if this trio struggles.

Still, if the Ravens’ early game plan is any indication, they are looking to feed Henry to open up the pass later if necessary. If Pittsburgh’s defense can’t stop Henry, the secondary will only become more vulnerable to Lamar Jackson and a dangerous downfield attack.

We’ll continue to monitor Porter’s status as the game progresses and more information becomes available.