Ike is garbage

[hawaiiansteel]

Ike had great year despite being Tebowed

January 11th, 2012
Mark Kaboly


There is a good argument that Ike Taylor’s game against Denver during last week’s AFC wild-card loss was the worst individual performance in the history of Steelers postseason play.

Sure, Neil O’Donnell could be mentioned as one during Super Bowl XXX or Tunch Ilkin in 1983 against the Raiders or even Kordell Stewart against the Broncos could make the list, but there’s no mistaken Taylor is on top of that list.

However, the big picture can’t be lost with Taylor, who spent an hour with Trib columnist John Harris on Wednesday for the Ike Taylor Show on TribLive Radio.

Taylor had one of the best individual regular seasons in the history of the Steelers.

Yes, comparable to Blount, Woodson and whoever else.

Heading int the Broncos game, Taylor allowed an average of 2.6 catches and 30.1 yards per game, and mind you, mostly covering the other team’s best receiver all over the field all by himself.

Now, giving up 204 yards to Demaryius Thomas can’t be overlooked, but as Taylor said on TribLive Radio — “You have good games, you have bad games.”

Just chalk this one up to a bad game and move on.

Here are some stats that might help you move one.

Ike Taylor’s 2011 season by receiver

A.J. Green, Cincinnati 6-87 yards, TD
Demaryius Thomas, Denver 4-204 yards, TD
Wes Welker, New England 4-23 yards
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona 3-58 yards
Brandon Lloyd, St. Louis 3-39 yards
Anquan Boldin, Baltimore 3-35 yards
Andre Johnson, Houston 3-23 yards
Michael Crabtree, SF 3-23 yards
Jonathan Baldwin, KC 2-26 yards
Nate Washington, Tenn 2-11 yards
Dwayne Bowe, KC 1-25 yards
Mohamed Massaquoi, Clev 1-25 yards
Rob Housler, Arizona 1-20 yards
Steve Breaston, KC 1-18 yards
Jason Hill, Jacksonville 1-18 yards, TD
Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis 1-11 yards
Deion Branch, New England 1-10 yards
Josh Cribbs, Cleveland 1-10 yards
Mike Williams, Seattle 1-9 yards
Damian Williams, Tennessee 1-8 yards
Mike Thomas, Jacksonville 1-3 yards
Torrey Smith, Baltimore 1-2 yards
Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis 1-(-2) yards
46-686-3


Ike Taylor’s 2011 season game-by-game

Team Targeted Receptions
Ravens 4 0
Seahawks 3 1
Colts 11 2
Texans 5 3
Titans 8 3
Jaguars 5 2
Cardinals 10 4
Patriots 7 5
Ravens 8 4
Bengals 2 0
Chiefs 7 4
Bengals 11 6
Browns 2 1
49ers 5 3
Rams 10 3
Browns 5 1
Broncos 6 4
109 46

[url="http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/2012/01/11/ike-taylor-really-did-have-a-great-year/"]http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/201 ... reat-year/[/url]

[Steeler Shades]

This wasn't written by THE Mark Kaboly....was it? The same Mark Kaboly that has won all the sports journalism awards while writing for the MCKEESPORT DAILY NEWS?

[ikestops85]

I'd really like to see how those stats stand up to Revis or Joseph. I know we didn't play against the better QBs this year but it would still be interesting to see how Ike stacks up.

I've never been in the "Ike is great" fan club (my user name was one that I used on a bengal site ... and they hated it ). I've always thought Ike was a bit too inconsistent for my taste until this year. I did think he was a lights out corner for most of the year. It's a shame he wasn't against Denver.

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers CB Taylor weighs in on Denver loss

By Ralph N. Paulk, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, January 12, 2012



Ike Taylor still feels the pain of the AFC wild-card loss to Denver at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

The Steelers' high-priced, shutdown cornerback can't dismiss the image of Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas catching a Tim Tebow pass, then sprinting toward the end zone on the first play from scrimmage in overtime Sunday.

Taylor has watched the play time and again. It's an inescapable nightmare.

"Unfortunately, one of my worst games of the year came at the wrong time," he said Wednesday on TribLive Radio. "I reflect back and think of me being highly upset after the game."

Taylor shunned reporters afterward, in part, because he didn't want to make excuses, he said.

"It was a terrible game, for sure," he said. "Will it be the last? I don't know. But you have to shake it off."

Taylor has been the target of criticism and finger-pointing. Thomas finished with seven receptions for a 204 yards — including an 80-yard touchdown that ousted the Steelers from the postseason.

"Just knowing how hard we worked to get to that moment, then everything happened on one play," Taylor said. "It hurt. It still hurts.

"But you have to move on. For me, that's getting back at it."

Taylor has returned to his Orlando, Fla., home to prepare for next season, bitterly disappointed that one of his best seasons didn't net a single playoff victory.

"This was probably the second-best season I've had since I started in 2005," he said. "I say that because people have noticed more of what I do. I told myself I was going to take some time off, but I'm back in the gym.

"As a professional, you never want to go out like that. But you know there are going to be days like that. You don't know when it's coming. For the most part, it happens.

"I remember the play, but it happened so fast, it's like '(Wow), the season is over.' "

Taylor, who signed a four-year contract prior to training camp, said the loss to the heavy-underdog Broncos was as painful as any he has experienced during his nine-year career.

"For me, this is worse than losing the Super Bowl," Taylor said. "I take a lot of pride in what I do. As bad as I feel, I have great people around me. Even on Twitter, I've been getting lot of support."

Taylor rejected suggestions that the lack of a pass rush enabled Tebow to throw for a career-high 316 yards and average more than 30 yards per completion. But it put added pressure on Taylor and William Gay.

"If you don't get Tim on the ground, he's going to make his plays," Taylor said. "He is a running back who can throw the ball. He did what he had to do to help his team win the game.

"We didn't play our best game on defense. They played good enough to beat us."

Taylor refused to criticize defensive coordinator D!ck LeBeau, who called for a scheme on the game-winning play that put 10 defenders near the line of scrimmage. As a result, safety Ryan Mundy, who replaced Ryan Clark in the starting lineup, wasn't in position to prevent the big play.

"Whatever they call, I'll roll with it," Taylor said. "I would never make an excuse. I'm behind Coach LeBeau all the way."

[url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_776218.html#ixzz1jJLmaDtP"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1jJLmaDtP[/url]

[feltdizz]

Those stats don't make me feel any better about Ike. I feel bad for him but in the end the last game pretty much defined his season... unfortunately.

[Steeler Shades]

"Unfortunately, one of my worst games of the year came at the wrong time,"

If this was just ONE of his worse games then clearly he didn't have a very good year.

Taylor shunned reporters afterward, in part, because he didn't want to make excuses, he said.

Why would he have to make excuses? Couldn't he have just manned up (not like in man-to-man coverage) and admitted he screwed up and apologized to his teammates and fans?

Thomas finished with seven receptions for a 204 yards — including an 80-yard touchdown that ousted the Steelers from the postseason.

Wasn't Ike also hit with a defensive pass interference penalty for about 50 yards? Thomas's 204 yards (for almost 30 yards avg) doesn't tell the whole story of Ike's contributions in this game.