Bob Labriola on what really happened with Boykin

[hawaiiansteeler]

Labriola on Jones, losing Boykin & Blake

2016-04-01
by Bob Labriola

Ready or not, here it comes:

* The first time I ever experienced the phenomenon was in the first offseason of free agency, 1993, and the player at the time was Aaron Jones. The team's first-round pick of the 1988 NFL Draft, Jones was supposed to be the defensive end/outside linebacker the team needed to juice a pass rush that had produced 26 sacks in 15 games the previous season.

* Jones wasn't that. Over five seasons, Jones played in 67 games for the Steelers, with 22 starts, and he totaled 9.5 sacks. As might be expected, a No. 1 pick who was supposed to be a pass rusher and didn't turn out to be a pass rusher got a lot, a lot, of criticism from the media and fans.

* After many years of ripping Aaron Jones for not being able to get to the quarterback, when he left the Steelers for the New England Patriots during the 1993 offseason, there actually were fans and media who complained, "What are (the Steelers) going to do for a pass rush now?"

* That same logic seems to be at work again this offseason, albeit at a different position: cornerback.

* The Steelers finished 30th in the NFL in pass defense in 2015, and that particular area of the team is considered largely responsible for there not being a parade through Downtown Pittsburgh back in mid-February following the seventh Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

* The player most often identified as being the primary individual culprit for that bit of angst was Antwon Blake, a guy who had been signed as an undrafted rookie by the Jaguars to play safety, was cut, picked off the waiver wire by the Steelers in 2013 to bolster special teams, and then a couple of years later had been pressed into a starting role on defense because Cortez Allen showed himself to be incapable of handling the job.

* It didn't really matter that Blake in fact wasn't solely responsible, nor did it really matter that Blake was mis-cast as a starting cornerback in the first place. Blake became the face of the frustrations of Steelers Nation when it came to the assignation of blame for the pass defense, and that was that.

* Until a couple of weeks ago, that is, when Blake signed with the Tennessee Titans as an unrestricted free agent. That's when Blake began to be identified in some quarters as a piece of evidence for the argument the Steelers had become a worse team because of the free agents they had failed to re-sign.

* "What are they going to do for cornerbacks now?"

* The guy on the opposite end of the fans' irrational emotion spectrum is Brandon Boykin, or Mel Blount Jr., as he came to be called by the segment of the media covering the Steelers who were most often exposed to his unofficial social media fan club.

* Boykin made his first visit of this free agency period - to Carolina last Monday, March 28 - and he signed with the Panthers later the same day. Boykin was employed by the Steelers for one season, less than a calendar year, and yet he found a way to be the polarizing figure of the team's 2015 season.

* Not polarizing in the way of being a distraction, or being a bad teammate, or by complaining about what his role was vs. what he believed his role should be. No, there was none of that from Boykin, but plenty from the team's fan base, which had come to advocate the Anybody But Blake philosophy.

* The reasons behind Boykin's irregular role on the Steelers defense had to do with his inability, in the judgment of the coaching staff, to play an outside cornerback position, as well as his periodic lapses in the tackling requirements of his position. Now, understand that there is a difference between missing tackles, and not enthusiastically putting one's body in the path of a guy with the football. Boykin's problem had to do with the latter.

* He wasn't physical, and that's the way the Steelers want to play defense. Blake was more physical, and so Blake played.

* As the season progressed, the Steelers began to turn to Boykin more, and come the final games of the regular season and into the playoffs, Boykin was a regular part of a rotation system employed in the defensive backfield. And in the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round Playoff loss in Denver, if fans were paying attention, there were a couple of excellent examples of why the Steelers coaches were not as enamored with Boykin as that faction of the team's fans were.

* It was in the middle of the fourth quarter, and the Steelers were clinging to a 13-12 lead. Denver had the ball with 8:37 remaining, with a third-and-12 from its own 33-yard line. Peyton Manning's pass over the middle was complete to Bennie Fowler, and rather than make the physical play, which would have been to tackle the catch, Boykin tried to undercut and make a play on the ball. He missed, and Fowler then was free to turn upfield and complete a 33-yard catch-and-run for a first down at the Pittsburgh 36-yard line.

* On what turned out to be the final scrimmage play on that drive - a third-and-goal from the Steelers 1-yard line - Boykin was unblocked on a running play to C.J. Anderson, but instead of throwing his body at the chore of getting Anderson on the ground, he reached and appeared to grab at shoulder pads as Anderson powered past him into the end zone for a touchdown. Hand Boykin a red cape in that situation and he looks like a matador.

* Get Anderson on the ground there, and it's fourth-and-goal, and Gary Kubiak likely orders a field goal to take a 15-13 lead. Then when the Steelers got the ball back after the ensuing kickoff at their 20-yard line with three minutes and three timeouts left, all they would have needed was a field goal instead of a touchdown.

* And again, it wasn't so much that Boykin didn't, or couldn't, keep Anderson and his 224 pounds out of the end zone, but it was the manner in which he tried to accomplish the task that illustrated why his role had been what it had been.

to read rest of article:

http://m.steelers.com/news/labriola-on/article-1/Labriola-on-Jones-losing-Boykin--Blake/f4259439-f2e3-498b-a180-9995b6e848fd

[Hawkman]

Maybe this should be included in the other thread and possibly put it to rest .

[Rotorhead]

Can we put the Boykin/Blake thing to rest now, neither are back and hopefully we can move on.

[Dwinsgames]

Labs is about as reliable for accurate info on why the Steelers do this or that ( when there is some sort of controversy ) as Larry the used car salesman from threes Company is likely to tell you the truth about the old clunker he is about to sell you ...

to be 100% honest I was waiting for Labs to write something on this , complete telegraphed move on his part

[teegre]

* It was in the middle of the fourth quarter, and the Steelers were clinging to a 13-12 lead. Denver had the ball with 8:37 remaining, with a third-and-12 from its own 33-yard line. Peyton Manning's pass over the middle was complete to Bennie Fowler, and rather than make the physical play, which would have been to tackle the catch, Boykin tried to undercut and make a play on the ball. He missed, and Fowler then was free to turn upfield and complete a 33-yard catch-and-run for a first down at the Pittsburgh 36-yard line.

Yep

[steelreserve]

Most receiving yards allowed IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME. Yup, that puts it to rest.

Blake was terrible and is now gone; Boykin was less terrible but is also gone. There is nothing left there but a crater. While sifting through the rubble can provide nuggets of entertainment, next season the reset button is pressed by default, and the only direction it can possibly go is up.

[teegre]

Blake was terrible and is now gone; Boykin was less terrible but is also gone.

...the only direction it can possibly go is up.


Ding, ding, ding!!!

Exactly.

[st33lersguy]

Let's hope Golson, Grant, or 2016 draft selection at CB show a better effort at tackling

[Steeldude]

* The reasons behind Boykin's irregular role on the Steelers defense had to do with his inability, in the judgment of the coaching staff, to play an outside cornerback position, as well as his periodic lapses in the tackling requirements of his position. Now, understand that there is a difference between missing tackles, and not enthusiastically putting one's body in the path of a guy with the football. Boykin's problem had to do with the latter.

Didn't Blake miss something like 28 tackles? Didn't he shy away from some tackles too?

So being enthusiastic tackler, not an accurate one, determines playing time? That should be every easy to find in the 7th round or free agency : ) I guess that explains why the secondary is so bad. Should the Steelers get O-linemen who enthusiastically block, but miss their blocks? ; )

[zulater]

Blake played a good portion of the season with a broken thumb.I'm sure that factored into his poor tackling.

- - - Updated - - -


Labs is about as reliable for accurate info on why the Steelers do this or that ( when there is some sort of controversy ) as Larry the used car salesman from threes Company is likely to tell you the truth about the old clunker he is about to sell you ...

to be 100% honest I was waiting for Labs to write something on this , complete telegraphed move on his part

Not everyone is as on top of things as you are.

I'm sure the Panthers are stone cold locks for the Super Bowl now Mel Blount jr is on board.

[Dwinsgames]

Blake played a good portion of the season with a broken thumb.I'm sure that factored into his poor tackling.

- - - Updated - - -



Not everyone is as on top of things as you are.

I'm sure the Panthers are stone cold locks for the Super Bowl now Mel Blount jr is on board.


yea because I actually said that right ?

why don't we stick to what has been really said ?

[Shoes]

Labs is about as reliable for accurate info on why the Steelers do this or that ( when there is some sort of controversy ) as Larry the used car salesman from threes Company is likely to tell you the truth about the old clunker he is about to sell you ...

to be 100% honest I was waiting for Labs to write something on this , complete telegraphed move on his part

Blabriola is the best, just ask him. Him and Bouchett are two peas in a pod.

[fansince'76]

Blabriola is the best, just ask him. Him and Bouchett are two peas in a pod.

"Blabriola & Bullchitte." :lol:

[Shoes]

"Blabriola & Bullchitte." :lol:


:toofunny:

[pczach]

Boykin wasn't physical enough.

Boykin missed tackles.

Boykin didn't even try to tackle.

The coaching staff was not enamored with him.

Yet they saw all his film with the Eagles and decided to give up a draft pick for him.

He says Boykin couldn't play outside CB. But they remove outside CB Blake from the lineup and move Gay outside and Boykin in the slot. Imagine that.....using a slot CB to play slot CB. Who knew?

So in the biggest games of the year.....in the late must-win games and playoff games.....they used him more and more......particularly with the game on the line in the second half.

Makes perfect sense to me.

[Dwinsgames]

Boykin wasn't physical enough.

Boykin missed tackles.

Boykin didn't even try to tackle.

The coaching staff was not enamored with him.

Yet they saw all his film with the Eagles and decided to give up a draft pick for him.

He says Boykin couldn't play outside CB. But they remove outside CB Blake from the lineup and move Gay outside and Boykin in the slot. Imagine that.....using a slot CB to play slot CB. Who knew?

So in the biggest games of the year.....in the late must-win games and playoff games.....they used him more and more......particularly with the game on the line in the second half.

Makes perfect sense to me.


:rockon:

[Mojouw]

Here is another way to look at the whole thing:

The Steelers have one decentish playmaker in the secondary - Mitchell. They have another slot corner who has been doing an amazing job being pressed in to service as a primary corner (Gay). They have an intriguing (not willing to go so far as promising) young CB in Cockerell. They have a once physically gifted but raw player who now might not be even physically gifted in Allen. They have two lottery tickets in Grant and Golson. Then they have an aging vet who is getting by on being the smartest kid in the room because he really can't run anymore in Will Allen. Then they have a jumped up special teamer who may actually be able to play at a replacement level as a starter in Golden. Then there is Blake and Boykin. Who maybe if you squished them together might actually be a whole CB between them. As it stands they each have about 50% of what the Steelers look for in a CB.

That is it. Not an impressive group by any stretch. But somehow this team came about 3 plays away from the AFC championship game. Basically a disasterous job of player acquisition and development but a hell of job making chicken salad out of chicken s#*%.

[pczach]

Here is another way to look at the whole thing:

The Steelers have one decentish playmaker in the secondary - Mitchell. They have another slot corner who has been doing an amazing job being pressed in to service as a primary corner (Gay). They have an intriguing (not willing to go so far as promising) young CB in Cockerell. They have a once physically gifted but raw player who now might not be even physically gifted in Allen. They have two lottery tickets in Grant and Golson. Then they have an aging vet who is getting by on being the smartest kid in the room because he really can't run anymore in Will Allen. Then they have a jumped up special teamer who may actually be able to play at a replacement level as a starter in Golden. Then there is Blake and Boykin. Who maybe if you squished them together might actually be a whole CB between them. As it stands they each have about 50% of what the Steelers look for in a CB.

That is it. Not an impressive group by any stretch. But somehow this team came about 3 plays away from the AFC championship game. Basically a disasterous job of player acquisition and development but a hell of job making chicken salad out of chicken s#*%.


That's a good assessment of the current talent.

I have a much higher opinion of Cockrell than you do. I think he is very promising. He came in and learned a very hard defensive scheme to master very quickly. He shows no fear, and appears to be comfortable playing off coverage, press coverage, zone, and cover 2. That means he's versatile and makes the job of the defensive coordinator to call defenses very easy. He doesn't show any glaring weaknesses, and shows very good technique. He also isn't afraid to hit someone and comes up to stuff the run very well.

I think he has a very bright future. Not a perennial All-Pro, but a solid, reliable defender that is a quality starter in the NFL. I really believe that.

[zulater]

Boykin wasn't physical enough.

Boykin missed tackles.

Boykin didn't even try to tackle.

The coaching staff was not enamored with him.

Yet they saw all his film with the Eagles and decided to give up a draft pick for him.

He says Boykin couldn't play outside CB. But they remove outside CB Blake from the lineup and move Gay outside and Boykin in the slot. Imagine that.....using a slot CB to play slot CB. Who knew?

So in the biggest games of the year.....in the late must-win games and playoff games.....they used him more and more......particularly with the game on the line in the second half.


Makes perfect sense to me.


Well if you read the story a big part of the reason they lost to the Broncos was because Boykin played down to Tomlin's expectations and gave up two game changing plays.. Truth be told Blake actually outplayed Boykin in the playoffs.

I honestly think the coaches viewed Blake as having a higher upside and had the tools to be a decent outside corner. The thumb injury didn't help. But I wont use that as an excuse for his season as a whole. Blake just wasn't good enough period. And personally I don't think Boykin is all that either. the more he plays the worse he'll look.

I'll predict right now and risk an avater bet that Boykin will be mediocre at best with the Panthers and that they'll make no effort to retain him once the 16 season is done.

[Mojouw]

That's a good assessment of the current talent.

I have a much higher opinion of Cockrell than you do. I think he is very promising. He came in and learned a very hard defensive scheme to master very quickly. He shows no fear, and appears to be comfortable playing off coverage, press coverage, zone, and cover 2. That means he's versatile and makes the job of the defensive coordinator to call defenses very easy. He doesn't show any glaring weaknesses, and shows very good technique. He also isn't afraid to hit someone and comes up to stuff the run very well.

I think he has a very bright future. Not a perennial All-Pro, but a solid, reliable defender that is a quality starter in the NFL. I really believe that.

I think that I may be too harsh on him sometimes. I keep forgetting how inexperienced he is. My biggest thing is that he may very well turn in to a reliable and quality NFL starter for the next 6 years, but I don't see him as a "playmaker". That isn't really a problem, depth and reliability are also key components to success. However, the Steelers secondary needs an athlete that can erase mistakes and other sins across the back 4 by regularly making "all-pro" plays.

[Steel Peon]

To blame any one player on our defense for sinking the entire ship is an exercise in stupidity, and that I think is the gist of the article. The failures were multiple, from multiple players.

[Psycho Ward 86]

this article is beyond stupid. So Boykin's alleged inferiority in physicality and tackling skills was reason for him to rot on the bench? Blake led the fucking league in missed tackles as a CORNERBACK. And physical? What good is physicality if you cant finish the tackle or cover for shit? Ill take a guy who tackles like a pillow over Boykin as long as his missed tackling percentage is lower. As far as effort is concerned, anyone who watched the games knows Blake had tons of horrid tackling efforts as well. Theres just no way to spin this to look good for Blake.

[salamander]

It's still BS how the whole thing was handled.

[Mojouw]

I think the funniest thing about all this is how the internet football pundits and fans assume that because they either don't know or don't understand the reason for something - then the team is wrong. There is waaaaayyyyy too much only the team understands.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hawkman]

I'd love to know how people think it should have been "handled".

[zulater]

To blame any one player on our defense for sinking the entire ship is an exercise in stupidity, and that I think is the gist of the article. The failures were multiple, from multiple players.

I don't think that's what the article did at all. The article simply explains the reporter's understanding of the team's misgivings with Boykin, and giving actual examples of how those misgivings played out on the field in a couple fairly crucial moments.

I'm sure the reporter could list several dozen equally significant failings by other members of the team that lead to the Denver loss. But stating how Martavis Bryant's first quarter drop cost the Steelers an early fg or more, or bringing up Toissant's fumble has no relevance to why the Steelers coaches were less enthusiastic about Boykin than the fans and analytical websites are.

- - - Updated - - -


I think the funniest thing about all this is how the internet football pundits and fans assume that because they either don't know or don't understand the reason for something - then the team is wrong. There is waaaaayyyyy too much only the team understands.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


They don't know what they don't know.

[zulater]

this article is beyond stupid. So Boykin's alleged inferiority in physicality and tackling skills was reason for him to rot on the bench? Blake led the fucking league in missed tackles as a CORNERBACK. And physical? What good is physicality if you cant finish the tackle or cover for shit? Ill take a guy who tackles like a pillow over Boykin as long as his missed tackling percentage is lower. As far as effort is concerned, anyone who watched the games knows Blake had tons of horrid tackling efforts as well. Theres just no way to spin this to look good for Blake.

The article is fine. The reporter actually takes a neutral position and just explains his understanding of the teams perception of Boykin, and then follows with actual valid examples of critical plays that bore those perceptions out.

You seem to feel the reporter was obligated to editorialize. Well sometimes they do that, and sometimes they just report. And guess what this guys reporting got him recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as being outstanding in his field as voted on by his peers. But hey, what do his fellow writers know?

I'm sure just as all of us could out coach Tomlin, we also could out write Bouchette. :sarcasm:

Funny though, those guys make a comfortable living off the game we devote so much time to for free. Ironic huh? :lol:

[pczach]

The article is fine. The reporter actually takes a neutral position and just explains his understanding of the teams perception of Boykin, and then follows with actual valid examples of critical plays that bore those perceptions out.

You seem to feel the reporter was obligated to editorialize. Well sometimes they do that, and sometimes they just report. And guess what this guys reporting got him recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as being outstanding in his field as voted on by his peers. But hey, what do his fellow writers know?

I'm sure just as all of us could out coach Tomlin, we also could out write Bouchette. :sarcasm:

Funny though, those guys make a comfortable living off the game we devote so much time to for free. Ironic huh? :lol:



I guess he could have pointed out the plays Blake didn't make, but they would need to add another section to the newspaper. Just being neutral.

Labriola is simply pushing the company line, and relaying what he is told.

Seriously, this whole thing has turned into something none of us really wanted. I think Boykin played better than Blake. The problem is, Boykin wasn't a direct replacement for Blake. Blake played outside, and Boykin played slot corner. Some of my arguments here aren't to bash Blake directly. They are to point out what really happened on the field.

William Gay was the starting slot corner, and Boykin was his backup. When Blake was taken out of the game for ineffective play, they moved Gay outside and Boykin entered the game to take over for Gay. Most people here saw that the defense was better in that configuration. They played better, but apparently that isn't the vision for the organization going forward. They see Boykin as only being a slot player that can't be physical enough to play outside in this scheme. They also see Gay as a swing player that can play well in the slot and also bump outside if needed because of injury or bad play. I believe that's why they did what they did with Boykin. They decided to move on to get a more prototypical physical outside corner, and keep Gay in his current role because they trust him and believe he is more versatile in this system.

That's what I think is the truth. I just don't understand why they don't just say that.

Everything I just stated above doesn't change the fact that the secondary was better with Boykin on the field, and Gay in Blake's spot outside. That's all I've been trying to say. That it could have and should have been handled differently from the beginning. In fact, if Boykin had gotten more playing time early in this defensive system and Blake less, they may have picked up a few more wins over the course of the year. Just a couple stops here and there, and a few big plays change the outcome of a few games....particularly at the end of games with teams trying to come from behind. Supporting the run doesn't mean jack shit when another team is coming from behind and throwing the ball on every down........Or on third and long in obvious passing situations. The more effective personnel set of Gay outside and Boykin in the slot should have been used more during the year...period.

Nobody knows the exact reason why. I just stated why I think they didn't sign him, but I think everyone wanted to know who or why coaches on the team didn't use Boykin's superior cover skills more. It's really that simple. They pulled Blake at halftime in games and used Boykin more late in the year, late in games, and in the playoffs. If everyone is going to say that Boykin sucked and didn't belong on the field, and that Tomlin saw this every day in practice and we couldn't........why did Tomlin rely on Boykin more and more late in the year and in the playoffs?

Why did he use him more in the most important games they played all year?

What changed in what he had seen all year in Boykin's play like all of you are saying?

These are all legit questions. I'm a Tomlin supporter. I think he's a great coach, and I'm very happy he's the head coach of the Steelers. That doesn't change the fact that I have questions about how he used Boykin, and what some of the reasons were for not playing him until the end of the year in the most important games. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense that it took coach Tomlin that long to figure out that Blake needed to be on the field less. Was it Tomlin's call, or was he relying on the thoughts of his position coach?

That's what all this is about.

[zulater]

I guess he could have pointed out the plays Blake didn't make, but they would need to add another section to the newspaper. Just being neutral.

Labriola is simply pushing the company line, and relaying what he is told.

Seriously, this whole thing has turned into something none of us really wanted. I think Boykin played better than Blake. The problem is, Boykin wasn't a direct replacement for Blake. Blake played outside, and Boykin played slot corner. Some of my arguments here aren't to bash Blake directly. They are to point out what really happened on the field.

William Gay was the starting slot corner, and Boykin was his backup. When Blake was taken out of the game for ineffective play, they moved Gay outside and Boykin entered the game to take over for Gay. Most people here saw that the defense was better in that configuration. They played better, but apparently that isn't the vision for the organization going forward. They see Boykin as only being a slot player that can't be physical enough to play outside in this scheme. They also see Gay as a swing player that can play well in the slot and also bump outside if needed because of injury or bad play. I believe that's why they did what they did with Boykin. They decided to move on to get a more prototypical physical outside corner, and keep Gay in his current role because they trust him and believe he is more versatile in this system.

That's what I think is the truth. I just don't understand why they don't just say that.

Everything I just stated above doesn't change the fact that the secondary was better with Boykin on the field, and Gay in Blake's spot outside. That's all I've been trying to say. That it could have and should have been handled differently from the beginning. In fact, if Boykin had gotten more playing time early in this defensive system and Blake less, they may have picked up a few more wins over the course of the year. Just a couple stops here and there, and a few big plays change the outcome of a few games....particularly at the end of games with teams trying to come from behind. Supporting the run doesn't mean jack shit when another team is coming from behind and throwing the ball on every down........Or on third and long in obvious passing situations. The more effective personnel set of Gay outside and Boykin in the slot should have been used more during the year...period.

Nobody knows the exact reason why. I just stated why I think they didn't sign him, but I think everyone wanted to know who or why coaches on the team didn't use Boykin's superior cover skills more. It's really that simple. They pulled Blake at halftime in games and used Boykin more late in the year, late in games, and in the playoffs. If everyone is going to say that Boykin sucked and didn't belong on the field, and that Tomlin saw this every day in practice and we couldn't........why did Tomlin rely on Boykin more and more late in the year and in the playoffs?

Why did he use him more in the most important games they played all year?

What changed in what he had seen all year in Boykin's play like all of you are saying?

These are all legit questions. I'm a Tomlin supporter. I think he's a great coach, and I'm very happy he's the head coach of the Steelers. That doesn't change the fact that I have questions about how he used Boykin, and what some of the reasons were for not playing him until the end of the year in the most important games. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense that it took coach Tomlin that long to figure out that Blake needed to be on the field less. Was it Tomlin's call, or was he relying on the thoughts of his position coach?

That's what all this is about.

I suppose Bouchette didn't include Blake's breakdowns because those are a given, a long ago conceded fact.(plus they would have filled the entire sports section :lol: ) Blake doesn't have an angry bandwagon of fans that need to be addressed over his departure and made to understand why he's gone. And also it's the offseason, I don't think the PPG is going to give him that much space to address what most insiders consider to be an overblown worn out story.

He addressed what needed to be addressed in an expedient manner. Period, end of story and hopefully we move on.

By the way your explanation is very reasonable. Good posting. :applaudit:

But here's one more thing to factor in that I don't think you have considered. Perhaps Tomlin saw Blake as a player with a bigger upside that if given a chance to grow through his mistakes could emerge as a solid outside corner in time? Think of it this way if Steelers nation had their way would Marcus Gilbert have been given a chance to grow into the player he is today? Well obviously in Blake's case it didn't work out. But I just think there's more to the story.

[pczach]

I'm definitely ready to move on! :chuckle:

[Mojouw]

Uhhhh. I realize I am totally contributing to this. Posting on the Blake/Boykin debate is like using the "reply all button" to ask people to stop emailing "reply all". That being said, the answer to some of the "what were they thinking" portions of this debate are not as unknowable as they are made out to be. They simply rely on a football roster being fluid.

Boykin was brought in. The evidence indicates he was slow to pick up the defense and demonstrated a lack of physicality that the Steelers have long asked of their corners. In extreme cases they have previously valued tackling over cover skills. So he didn't play. He attempted to show that he was overcoming those perceived deficiencies in practice and meetings. The coaching staff noticed and began playing him more. I suspect Russell Wilson toasting them for about 900 yards didn't hurt either. As Boykin demonstrated that he was willing to play corner and do the work the way the coaching staff wanted, he played more.

Finally, as has been mentioned his "ole" tackling tendencies were on display in the Denver game. As well as his tendency to leave his feet gambling he can make a play. So it isn't like we don't have evidence of the positive and the negative with Boykin. Evidence that makes it possible to see why the situation went down the way it did without resorting to complex psychological or conspiracy theories. Does that mean myself or anyone else has to agree or think it was the best decision that could have been made? Of course not. But it really doesn't require an explanation.


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[pczach]

Uhhhh. I realize I am totally contributing to this. Posting on the Blake/Boykin debate is like using the "reply all button" to ask people to stop emailing "reply all". That being said, the answer to some of the "what were they thinking" portions of this debate are not as unknowable as they are made out to be. They simply rely on a football roster being fluid.

Boykin was brought in. The evidence indicates he was slow to pick up the defense and demonstrated a lack of physicality that the Steelers have long asked of their corners. In extreme cases they have previously valued tackling over cover skills. So he didn't play. He attempted to show that he was overcoming those perceived deficiencies in practice and meetings. The coaching staff noticed and began playing him more. I suspect Russell Wilson toasting them for about 900 yards didn't hurt either. As Boykin demonstrated that he was willing to play corner and do the work the way the coaching staff wanted, he played more.

Finally, as has been mentioned his "ole" tackling tendencies were on display in the Denver game. As well as his tendency to leave his feet gambling he can make a play. So it isn't like we don't have evidence of the positive and the negative with Boykin. Evidence that makes it possible to see why the situation went down the way it did without resorting to complex psychological or conspiracy theories. Does that mean myself or anyone else has to agree or think it was the best decision that could have been made? Of course not. But it really doesn't require an explanation.


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Stop using "reply all"!!!!!! :asskick:


:chuckle:

[Mojouw]

Stop using "reply all"!!!!!! :asskick:


:chuckle:

My posts often simply deserve this in response:

http://www.thelostogle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/picard-facepalm.jpg

[Psycho Ward 86]

The article is fine. The reporter actually takes a neutral position and just explains his understanding of the teams perception of Boykin, and then follows with actual valid examples of critical plays that bore those perceptions out.

You seem to feel the reporter was obligated to editorialize. Well sometimes they do that, and sometimes they just report. And guess what this guys reporting got him recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as being outstanding in his field as voted on by his peers. But hey, what do his fellow writers know?

I'm sure just as all of us could out coach Tomlin, we also could out write Bouchette. :sarcasm:

Funny though, those guys make a comfortable living off the game we devote so much time to for free. Ironic huh? :lol:

pedigree doesnt over rule common sense. common sense says that being physical and putting a lot of effort into tackling mean nothing if you lead the league in missed tackles. put me on the field against the broncos, you bet your ass i would do everything i can to stop CJ Anderson from running but that doesnt mean i deserve to be on the field

[Cyphon25]

Yeah Labriola is a bum who always pushes the company agenda. I don't blame him too much because that is where his check comes from. I just don't read or watch any of his stuff because he is a bad source for objective information. Let's just assume we have all of the facts and agree on them.

- Boykin couldn't tackle in practice, Blake couldn't tackle in games.
- Boykin took risks in practice and got burned, Blake got burned in games even without taking risks.
- Boykin is only a slot CB, Blake shouldn't even be on the field at CB.

There is just no way the Steelers or Labriola can write this story to make it better from a fan perspective. The best they can hope for is that they keep getting the fans with the black gold glasses on that refuse to see bad in any Steelers move regardless of the proof.

I see some bring up the fact that Blake was injured. Okay, so what? Why did the coaches play an injured player who was the worst CB in the NFL? Why didn't said CB take some personal responsibility and check himself out of the game when he was hurting the team?

And back to Labriola for a second pointing out the bad in Boykins game. What about all the good from Boykin? Almost every game he played in he seemed to have no problem tackling and we actually saw him shed some blocks and fight to make tackles. We also saw him leave his feet and make a diving INT.

I agree with many of you that we should just be moving on from this but let's not pretend like the Steelers/Blake don't deserve every bit of crap they are getting for this situation and then some.

[Dwinsgames]

Yeah Labriola is a bum who always pushes the company agenda. I don't blame him too much because that is where his check comes from. I just don't read or watch any of his stuff because he is a bad source for objective information. Let's just assume we have all of the facts and agree on them.

- Boykin couldn't tackle in practice, Blake couldn't tackle in games.
- Boykin took risks in practice and got burned, Blake got burned in games even without taking risks.
- Boykin is only a slot CB, Blake shouldn't even be on the field at CB.

There is just no way the Steelers or Labriola can write this story to make it better from a fan perspective. The best they can hope for is that they keep getting the fans with the black gold glasses on that refuse to see bad in any Steelers move regardless of the proof.

I see some bring up the fact that Blake was injured. Okay, so what? Why did the coaches play an injured player who was the worst CB in the NFL? Why didn't said CB take some personal responsibility and check himself out of the game when he was hurting the team?

And back to Labriola for a second pointing out the bad in Boykins game. What about all the good from Boykin? Almost every game he played in he seemed to have no problem tackling and we actually saw him shed some blocks and fight to make tackles. We also saw him leave his feet and make a diving INT.

I agree with many of you that we should just be moving on from this but let's not pretend like the Steelers/Blake don't deserve every bit of crap they are getting for this situation and then some.

5 star post right there