Steelers Guilty of Too Much Loyalty to Veterans?

NO ONE Has Gotten More Bad Press Than
Ike Taylor This Year, and It Isn't His Fault

-Mason Noland (@m_noland386)

Former NFL defensive lineman and current Fox NFL analyst Tim Ryan once said on his Sirius radio show, "Show me a shut down corner and I will show you a Pro Bowl pass rusher in front of him." This statement couldn't be more true than watching the struggles of Ike Taylor for the first few weeks of the season. Though Ike hasn't been to a Pro Bowl, he's been an excellent cover corner since becoming a starter in 2005.

Ike has looked like a deer in headlights at times this season. He's had more pass interference calls against him than I can recall in years past. I, at first, thought it was the product of the replacement officiating, but however, it was not. There was a point where I remember saying to anyone within earshot (really just my wife and daughter, who don't necessarily care), "Get him out of there and put in one of the second year guys!" In my mind, Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen couldn't have done worse than what Ike was doing through the first few games. It really did seem as though Taylor's days were numbered. He did, and does have one thing going for him, the Defensive Coordinator has his back. Dick Lebeau played Corner at a hall of fame level. I defer any knowledge of how this position should and can be played to him, but my untrained eyes saw a proud player being slaughtered weekly. I couldn't help but be a little sad, as I've been an Ike Taylor defender for many years. He's been loyal to the Steelers and they have returned the favor.

I was starting to think that the loyalty had gone too far at the beginning of the season. I then had a conversation with Jeff, which made me think of the above mentioned Ryan quote above. I have no problem with the loyalty being shown to Taylor so far, because he's been guarding his receiver far longer than he should be. The lack of pass rush through the first 5 games created lots of time for opposing quarterbacks to pick our secondary apart. It wouldn't have mattered if Troy Polamalu is healthy or not, when a quarterback has time, your corners are in trouble, and Taylor ended up making mistakes, like getting beaten deep, or interfering.

Something happened in the Cincinnati game. LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison were on the field for the first time all season. Our defensive line also seemed to get significant push against a pretty good Bengals offensive line. This created problems for Andy Dalton. Taylor also created a problem. He covered AJ Green covered all night. Taylor had his best day this season and it corresponded with the defensive line and outside linebackers creating pressure. "Show me a shut down corner and I'll show you a pro bowl pass rusher." See, this quote works. I also think LeBeau finally realized Troy wasn't playing, so he should play a two deep safety look, and if a safety needs to come to the box, it should be Ryan Clark.

I then thought about my loyalty issues with LeBeau. I still think he's being loyal to aging veterans who aren't pulling their weight. One player in particular has a lot of weight to pull too. I'm not, of course, talking about Larry Foote and Ryan Clark. These two veterans are playing lights out football. I'm talking about the two old veterans on the defensive line, Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel. These two players definitely look as though their best days are in the rear view mirror. The defensive line's lack of penetration has been apparent, and it starts with these two. Hampton used to take on double teams and free up linebackers, while still getting in the backfield. He now looks like a guy standing in the middle of the field. Keisel also used to get into the backfield and harass quaterbacks and running backs all the same. Neither have ever been big sack total players, but they were always able to get penetration and create havoc for offenses. Both have been easily contained. I really feel as though its time to get Steve McClendon in the game at defensive tackle. He's younger and quicker than Big Snack, but that could work to his advantage. His athleticism and strength could create huge issues for opposing offensive coaches. Heyward seems to be an upgrade over Keisel at this point. He's bigger and faster. I also think he may be meaner. He started some fights in training camp, which shows me he's not afraid to get after anyone. I'm also not saying Hampton and Keisel shouldn't have roles on the team, I'm saying if they have limited snaps, they could be more effective.

I'm willing to give James Harrison a little time to get back up to speed before I can judge whether he's in this category. While he is healing, it would be nice to see Jason Worilds steal some of his snaps, as he looks like he's a worthy successor after Harrison is done.

As you can see, I'm willing to give Ike the benefit of the doubt because of the guys up front, who I'm not willing to give that benefit to. I believe if we give more playing time to our younger defensive linemen, and keep the veterans fresh, everybody wins, including the overworked defensive backs.