Ike Taylor is no stranger to being on an island. The former Steelers cornerback helped Pittsburgh win two Super Bowls during his 12-year career. In this series, Taylor will feature one pertinent cornerback on "Ike's Island," where he breaks down the player's on-field play and significance heading into the coming week. In addition, he lists his updated top-10 cornerback rankings.
Featured on Ike's Island this week ...
Vernon Hargreaves, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
First off, I thought Hargreaves was the most polished cornerback coming out of the 2016 NFL Draft. He's getting targeted and going through some growing pains because he's a rookie, but he's very savvy, has good footwork and is a solid tackler. Hargreaves needs to catch up to the speed of the game and understand situational football. But his strength is playing off the line of scrimmage. He does a good job at reading routes, watching the play develop and understanding QB-WR concepts. Hargreaves plays a similar style to Marcus Peters, and, in time, we'll be talking about the Florida product as one of the better corners in the league.
So far this season, Hargreaves has allowed 46 catches on 73 targets (59 completion percentage) for 618 yards (13.4 yards per catch). He's given up just one touchdown and a passer rating of 94.4. Hargreaves does not have an INT this season, but his teammates have intercepted the ball twice when he was covering the targeted receiver.
The Bucs are coming off a big road win over Kansas City and sit one game behind the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. Inching closer to the top of the division won't be an easy task this week as Russell Wilson and the Seahawks come to town. Hargreaves will see a combination of receivers, and it will be key for him to keep his eyes on the receiver. If he looks back at Wilson, Hargreaves will lose the receivers and get beat before the play begins. One matchup to watch is Hargreaves against Doug Baldwin, who is a savvy veteran. Baldwin comes off the line somewhat slow if the corner is playing off coverage, but he breaks fast and has great lateral movement. Hargreaves must get familiar with Baldwin's routes and stay close to him if he wants to be successful Sunday.
Week 12 cornerback rankings: My top 10
Sherman regains the top spot here for the first time since Week 6 because of his ability to shut down receivers and create turnovers. He's had two picks in the last three games, including one last weekend off Eagles rookie Carson Wentz. In Seattle's 26-15 win Sunday, Sherman gave up one catch for 19 yards on seven targets.
This week, Sherman has to be careful against Mike Evans. The Bucs receiver has great speed and comes down with so many jump balls, but I do think Sherman will pick and choose when he wants to play bump and run against Evans, especially in the red zone. This should be one of the best WR-CB matchups of the week.
Peterson had another dominant performance against Stefon Diggs and the Minnesota Vikings. The shutdown corner only allowed four receptions for 35 yards (all to Diggs). He's been consistently handling his business but will have a big challenge Sunday with Atlanta's Julio Jones. These two are no strangers as they played often during their SEC days. This great matchup features two of the best, and I think we'll see plays made on both sides.
By not playing Sunday (out with a shoulder injury), Peters proved his value, as the Chiefs lost to the Bucs and allowed Mike Evans to rack up 105 yards on six receptions. Kansas City needs this young cornerback on the field, especially this week when the Chiefs host division-rival Denver in prime time. The Broncos have one of the best receiving duos in the league in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Thomas uses his size (6-foot-3, 229 pounds), while Sanders uses speed to beat opposing defenses. Peters has the ability to play with either and the fact that Trevor Siemian has struggled with a shoulder injury will play in the Chiefs' favor. Hopefully we'll see Peters in this AFC West battle.
Terence Newman continues to be a consistent corner for Minnesota, as he allowed one catch for 13 yards in the Vikings' much-needed win over the Arizona Cardinals. But that's over and done, and Newman is now dealing with an injury (neck) that kept him out of practice this week. If Newman is healthy enough to play Thursday, he'll have his hands full when Minnesota travels to face Matthew Stafford's division-leading Lions. Marvin Jones has emerged as one of the best receivers, and you can't sleep on Golden Tate and Anquan Boldin. When these two teams met in Week 9, Newman gave up two catches for 12 yards to Tate.
Stafford trusts his arm and tries to squeeze the ball into tight spaces. Sometimes the Lions quarterback forces a throw and because Newman plays off coverage well, he'll watch the play develop and be close enough to the receiver to make a play.
Norman did give up a touchdown lsat week, but we all know why he's worth $75 million. If he's not getting picks, he's forcing fumbles. He helped clinch a victory over the Packers during "Sunday Night Football" when he punched the ball out of tight end Jared Cook's hands, and that kind of attitude and play-making ability moved him back up to the top five.
So far this season, Norman has allowed a 78.8 passer rating, two touchdowns and a completion percentage of 50 in coverage. He's added one interception and 11 passes defensed for the Redskins. He'll need to be just as tough this week when the Redskins travel to play Dallas on Thanksgiving. When the teams met in Week 2, Norman covered Dez Bryant on just 11 pass plays, allowing zero receptions on one target. I think we'll see these two go against each other more this time around. One thing Norman needs to look out for is quarterback Dak Prescott, who does a good job connecting with Bryant when he sees single-high -- one safety in the middle of the field. As soon as Prescott sees that, he's throwing to Bryant, who uses his size to come down with the ball. It's important for Norman to stay close and tackle the receiver immediately.
Pacman is the Steve Smith of cornerbacks: small, but mighty. Speaking of, these two play this weekend in what I predict will be a very physical matchup. Though the Bengals cornerbacks don't travel, Jones will see his fair share of Smith. For Jones to have success against the veteran, he must tackle after the catch because Smith is strong and breaks tackles nearly every time he gets the ball.
Harris and the Broncos are coming off a bye and head into a big divisional contest with the Kansas City Chiefs. Harris must understand the West Coast Offense that Andy Reid runs operates on rhythm and timing. The Broncos cornerbacks will have success if they play a lot of man-to-man coverage, as that will throw off the timing between Alex Smith and his receivers. Expect the Broncos to dominate this matchup if Aqib Talib returns and the Chiefs' top-receiver, Jeremy Maclin, is out.
I say this every week and I'll say it again: DRC is quietly having one of the best seasons and is one of the unsung heroes for the Giants' defense. Early in his career, he was guessing too much, but now he's trusting his instincts and using his speed. Last week against the Bears, DRC allowed only one catch for 11 yards -- one of his best performances of the year.
This week, I'm interested to see if he lines up against Terrelle Pryor, who has 56 receptions for 724 (12.9 yards per catch) and four touchdowns this season. He's a bright spot in the Browns' offense and definitely someone who corners can't sleep on.
Joseph had a solid game against the Raiders in Mexico City, as he held Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree to only one catch for eight yards. However, Joseph had two penalties called against him, which is why he's staying put at No. 9 on my list.
This week against the Chargers, the key for the Texans' secondary will be plastering receivers. Philip Rivers buys a lot of time and gives his receivers opportunities to make plays, so Joseph will need to stay close for longer than usual.
Jenkins is playing some good ball this season, and he continued his stout play last week against the Bears, allowing one reception for 10 yards on two targets. Landon Collins has made a legitimate case for Defensive Player of the Year consideration, but Jenkins also has done his part for the Giants' defense. He's stayed close to a lot of receivers and recorded 12 passes defensed and two interceptions this season -- the reason why quarterbacks stay away from him.
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN:Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville Jaguars, Vontae Davis, Indianapolis Colts; Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings.
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