The Cincinnati Bengals have shared a unique animosity toward the Pittsburgh Steelers over the past twenty years and Cincinnati’s star receiver Tyler Boyd has a unique place in the center of it. While playing his entire NFL career with Cincinnati since he was drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Boyd played collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh and was raised in Clairton, Pennsylvania (less than half an hour southeast of the Steel City). When Boyd puts himself in the middle of the drama between these two teams, its going to be tense.
Tyler Boyd Lashes Out at his Hometown Team
Pittsburgh has certainly taken a nose dive after a promising start to the season. After their elite defense carried them for the first half of the season, the offense has completely imploded, causing the team to lose four out of five and slowly fall out of the wild card race. Throughout the skid, Pittsburgh wide receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens have had multiple dramatic outbursts on the sideline and in the locker room.
The biggest issue however is that the dramatics seem to have spilled over to a lack of effort on the field as there have been multiple plays where both of the receivers have been criticized for minimal effort on key plays. During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Boyd spoke his opinion on the matter.
“It just shows the lack of camaraderie that’s over there,” Boyd said. “I saw a clip with [Pickens] on a pick, it kind of looked like he wasn’t trying to chase it down. … When things ain’t going good, that’s when your true colors show. I like to be the same player week in, week out, whether it’s going good or bad for me.”
While there is certainly evidence that supports claims, talk like this certainly didn’t endear him to the Pittsburgh locker room. Talented rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. heard what Boyd said and decided that he’d come back at the veteran receiver.
“He wouldn’t know. He’s not in this locker room,” Porter Jr. said according to Steelers beat writer Nick Farabaugh. “His opinion doesn’t matter. I feel he got a misread on it. He’s not in the locker room, so he doesn’t know what’s going on in the locker room.”
“He wouldn’t know. He’s not in this locker room,” Porter Jr. said according to Steelers beat writer Nick Farabaugh. “His opinion doesn’t matter. I feel he got a misread on it. He’s not in the locker room, so he doesn’t know what’s going on in the locker room.”
Porter is clearly immersed in the rivalry as his father was a superstar pass rusher with Pittsburgh in the mid-2000s when the rivalry was first intensifying. Porter Sr. was also a coach on the incident during the 2015 playoff game that triggered multiple penalties and allowed Pittsburgh to win on an easy game-winning field goal.
Both players are going to have the opportunity to backup their trash talk as Cincinnati superstar receiver Ja’Marr Chase will be out this week with a separated shoulder. After trash talk like this, it will be key for each team to keep their emotions in check this week and not give up any easy penalties to the other team.
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