Taylor has one of his worst games as a Steeler
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Matt Freed, Post-GazetteThe Broncos' Javon Walker beats the Steelers Ike Taylor for a touchdown catch yesterday in the first quarter.
Click photo for larger image.
Ike Taylor began the game wanting to be mentioned in the same breath with Denver's Champ Bailey, who might be the best cornerback in the NFL.
He ended the game being mentioned in the same breath with Dewayne Washington. Not to mention being publicly challenged by his coach.
"Mama said there would be days like this," Taylor said.
That day came yesterday at Heinz Field, and it came in a game when Taylor and the rest of his teammates were reminded by the Broncos how far they have slipped since last year's AFC championship game.
Taylor, the team's top cornerback, watched Broncos receiver Javon Walker catch six passes for 134 yards, including two 10-yard fade passes for touchdowns. That doesn't include Walker's 72-yard touchdown run on a reverse in the third quarter, the play that effectively gassed the Steelers in a 31-20 defeat at Heinz Field.
Afterward, Taylor stood at his locker and answered every question thrown at him. Unlike the throws to Walker, he handled every one, never backing down.
"It's tough, especially when you see the guys around you fight, snap in and snap out," Taylor said. "But as a corner, that has to be one of the worst days you can feel."
Being assigned to shadow the other team's top receiver is nothing new for Taylor. He has followed Miami's Chris Chambers, Cincinnati's Chad Johnson and Oakland's Randy Moss this season, and did not allow a touchdown against any of those receivers. Against Moss, considered among the most dangerous receivers in the league, Taylor allowed just two catches for 20 yards.
But, against Walker, who was acquired by the Broncos in a draft-day trade with the Green Bay Packers, Taylor looked little like the cornerback who signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract before the start of the regular season. And he looked especially defenseless on the type of play for which he is best-suited to defend -- a fade pass that Walker converted into two touchdowns.
"Just one of them games, man," Taylor said. "Not too much I can explain. You got to respect him. He is a good receiver ... can't take nothing away from him. But, for me, it was definitely one of them games."
Then, he added, "It's a first-time ever. A lousy feeling. It hurts."
It didn't take long for the Broncos to go right after Taylor.
On their first play from scrimmage, quarterback Jake Plummer pump-faked and threw a 38-yard pass to Walker to the Steelers' 25 to set up the first touchdown. Three plays later, Plummer threw a 16-yard pass to Rod Smith in the back of the end zone, a play in which cornerback Deshea Townsend had perfect coverage but failed to break up the high throw.
Then, it was right back at Taylor.
After Santonio Holmes fumbled the ensuing kickoff, the Broncos needed just three more plays to make the score 14-0. Plummer threw a 10-yard touchdown to Walker in the right corner of the end zone, victimizing Taylor on the same throw the Broncos ran one play earlier.
"It was a good ball, but, still, in all, it was one of those days," Taylor said. "There's not too much I can explain."
When the Broncos did it to Taylor again, beating him with a 10-yard touchdown to Walker in the fourth quarter to make the score 28-17, even coach Bill Cowher was at a loss for words.
Asked if one of Taylor's strengths was high-pointing the ball, Cowher said, "It was."
But, on this day, Taylor was outplayed by Walker.
The Steelers talk about their 31-20 loss at home yesterday to the Denver Broncos:
Deshea Townsend
On how the Steelers can't catch a break
Bill CowherOn the Steelers' inability to defend "jump balls"
"Until we find a way to play the ball, we're going to keep getting those plays thrown at us," Cowher said. "Until we show an ability to stop those plays, we will see them week in and week out."
The Steelers have been victimized by four other jump-ball touchdowns this season, three involving Townsend. He was beat for a 30-yard touchdown by Cincinnati's T.J. Houshmandzadeh, a 9-yarder by San Diego's Malcolm Floyd and a 15-yard touchdown by Atlanta's Michael Jenkins, all in which he had tight coverage. Taylor was beaten on a 15-yard jump-ball touchdown by Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry.
"Those are things that people do down in that area of the field," Cowher said.
"Every week the teams know what [defense] we're getting in," Townsend said. "We have to do some situations to help us out on the outside ... to look for the jump ball."
That, though, wasn't the end of Walker's heroics.
After the Steelers cut the deficit to 28-20 with 8:13 remaining, Plummer needed only one play to go after Taylor again. Using a perfect play-fake and rolling to his right, Plummer hit Walker in stride for a 61-yard gain to the Steelers' 18, setting up a Jason Elam field goal.
It was the final indignation for Taylor, who wasn't able to separate one big play from another.
"They all hurt," Taylor said. "That's what I pride myself on. That's what the defense prides itself on, not giving up big plays, and today I gave up the big play."
First Published November 6, 2006 12:00 am
