In an interview with Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan, former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson said that current Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor, who has struggled this season, needs to focus more on fundamentals:
"I think Ike needs to get back to the fundamentals. For me, Ike needs to be more on the up-field shoulder all the time to the receivers, which makes him be able to slow down a little bit. If he slows down, then he can play better."
When asked to explain what the up-field shoulder technique was, Woodson explained that it was to play closer to the shoulder that's closest to the sideline. Taylor was targeted 15 times in last Thursday's loss to the Tennessee Titans and allowed eight catches by four different receivers for a total of 126 yards and a touchdown. Three of those times, he was penalized.
This Sunday's game doesn't seem any easier as Taylor will likely be matched up with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green. When Taylor was matched up with Green last season at Heinz Field, Green caught six passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.