BlitzburghRockCity
12-16-2006, 07:51 AM
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06350/746602-66.stm
Saturday, December 16, 2006
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
This is the type of game in which they used to call his number.
This is the type of matchup they used to need his speed and coverage skills.
This is the type of assignment that used to require his special attention.
It wasn't that long ago that the Steelers would ask cornerback Ike Taylor to shadow the other team's top receiver. It was only a month ago when they wanted him to cover Denver's Javon Walker, just as he did earlier in the season when Taylor was assigned to follow Miami's Chris Chambers, Cincinnati's Chad Johnson and Oakland's Randy Moss.
This, though, would have been his biggest assignment: Follow Steve Smith, a two-time Pro Bowl receiver, when the Steelers (6-7) play the Carolina Panthers (6-7) at 1 p.m. tomorrow in Charlotte, N.C.
"Steve Smith is one of the best receivers in the game today, if not the best," coach Bill Cowher said. "He's the real deal."
Taylor, though, is no longer asked to shadow the other team's top receiver.
He isn't even asked to cover any of the opposition's starting receivers.
After getting a five-year, $22.5 million contract extension in September, Taylor has been benched for his poor play, all of which began when he gave up two touchdowns and two deep catches to Walker in a 31-20 loss to the Broncos. Taylor will not start against the Panthers, the third game in a row in which he has been replaced by Bryant McFadden. It is a dramatic change for Taylor, the fourth-year cornerback, and how he is employed in the Steelers' defense.
"It ain't even disappointing," Taylor said. "It's more than that. It's crazy. I can't even explain it. I don't know what's going on."
Cowher said a couple weeks ago that Taylor "understands and accepts his role," which is to be the third cornerback in the nickel and dime defensive packages. But the look on Taylor's face suggests that is not entirely the case.
He has been bewildered by his demotion and believes he has been singled out as a culprit for some of the coverage problems in the secondary. He has gone from being the team's shutdown corner to a sitdown corner, and the odyssey has left him, he said, frustrated.
"Darn right, it's frustrating," Taylor said, except he didn't use the word "darn."
Then, he added, "It doesn't even have anything to do with the contract. They said it is what it is. I don't know what that means -- it is what it is?
"I don't know what's going to happen. All I can do is play football. It's frustrating, it's very frustrating, but you deal with it. We all want to be that guy. We all go through tough times. I call it growing pains. We all go through them in life."
Ike hasnt been right this whole year and since they sat him down he seems to have gone downhill. His confidence is shot to hell, and he's frustrated. This could be a potentially bad situation come next training camp if he doesn't step up to the plate and regain his starting job. We're counting on him, so hopefully he's able to break out his funk with the rest of the team and get back to form.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
This is the type of game in which they used to call his number.
This is the type of matchup they used to need his speed and coverage skills.
This is the type of assignment that used to require his special attention.
It wasn't that long ago that the Steelers would ask cornerback Ike Taylor to shadow the other team's top receiver. It was only a month ago when they wanted him to cover Denver's Javon Walker, just as he did earlier in the season when Taylor was assigned to follow Miami's Chris Chambers, Cincinnati's Chad Johnson and Oakland's Randy Moss.
This, though, would have been his biggest assignment: Follow Steve Smith, a two-time Pro Bowl receiver, when the Steelers (6-7) play the Carolina Panthers (6-7) at 1 p.m. tomorrow in Charlotte, N.C.
"Steve Smith is one of the best receivers in the game today, if not the best," coach Bill Cowher said. "He's the real deal."
Taylor, though, is no longer asked to shadow the other team's top receiver.
He isn't even asked to cover any of the opposition's starting receivers.
After getting a five-year, $22.5 million contract extension in September, Taylor has been benched for his poor play, all of which began when he gave up two touchdowns and two deep catches to Walker in a 31-20 loss to the Broncos. Taylor will not start against the Panthers, the third game in a row in which he has been replaced by Bryant McFadden. It is a dramatic change for Taylor, the fourth-year cornerback, and how he is employed in the Steelers' defense.
"It ain't even disappointing," Taylor said. "It's more than that. It's crazy. I can't even explain it. I don't know what's going on."
Cowher said a couple weeks ago that Taylor "understands and accepts his role," which is to be the third cornerback in the nickel and dime defensive packages. But the look on Taylor's face suggests that is not entirely the case.
He has been bewildered by his demotion and believes he has been singled out as a culprit for some of the coverage problems in the secondary. He has gone from being the team's shutdown corner to a sitdown corner, and the odyssey has left him, he said, frustrated.
"Darn right, it's frustrating," Taylor said, except he didn't use the word "darn."
Then, he added, "It doesn't even have anything to do with the contract. They said it is what it is. I don't know what that means -- it is what it is?
"I don't know what's going to happen. All I can do is play football. It's frustrating, it's very frustrating, but you deal with it. We all want to be that guy. We all go through tough times. I call it growing pains. We all go through them in life."
Ike hasnt been right this whole year and since they sat him down he seems to have gone downhill. His confidence is shot to hell, and he's frustrated. This could be a potentially bad situation come next training camp if he doesn't step up to the plate and regain his starting job. We're counting on him, so hopefully he's able to break out his funk with the rest of the team and get back to form.