Ike Taylor injury: Steelers cornerback promises quick return

The Steelers defense suffered a blow at the start of their huge Week 13 win over the Ravens, as veteran corner Ike Taylor broke his ankle on just the second play of the game. Taylor is a mainstay on the outside for Dick LeBeau's group, and a key part of the Steelers having the top-rated pass defense in the NFL, yielding just 166.7 yards per game through the air.

Taylor has not missed a game in more than eight years, playing in 135 consecutive contests. He's slated to miss anywhere from two to six weeks, with just four regular season games left in the 2012 season. But speaking on his TribLive radio appearance, Taylor was adamant that he'd get back on the field soon (via Mark Kaboly):

"Don't trip, I'll be back ASAP and that's with a capital A, S, A, P. I'll be back sooner than later, that's for sure.

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"My status, I don't like my status but it happens, things happen," Taylor said. "I have to recover and get better and get back out there as soon as possible."

He's one of the league's toughest players, continually playing through pain and ensuring that he's active, even if considerably banged up. Taylor should miss at least the next two games against the Chargers and Cowboys. The Steelers then round out the season at home with two AFC North games against the Bengals and Browns.