Denarius Moore set to be shadowed by Ike Taylor

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Denarius Moore (17) before the game against the San Diego Chargers at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Steelers veteran cornerback Ike Taylor recently agreed to a restructured contract that will make it easier to retire with the organization; something that is definitely fitting. The move also frees up about $3 million in cap space, so it definitely helps out the Steelers. Today’s game will pit the Steelers against the Oakland Raiders, and it should be an interesting game. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin answered plenty of questions about the matchup, and I found one notable nugget regarding the way the Steelers will approach covering Denarius Moore.

Terrelle Pryor has two very capable deep threats to throw it to in Denarius Moore and Rod Streater, and Moore is the team’s No. 1 target and is incredibly dangerous when he goes deep. Tomlin was asked if Ike Taylor would shadow Moore today, and his reply was quite simple, “He’s probably going to exclusively see Ike Taylor. That’s one of the challenges Ike relishes.”

Taylor loves to go mano-a-mano with wide receivers, and that’s when he is at his best. Many cornerbacks in this league love knowing that they will be shadowing the opponent’s top target, and they generally prepare even harder for that receiver. Not only is it because they know who they will be covering, but it’s also a point of personal pride. Taylor has allowed a number of receptions this season, but he hasn’t allowed a touchdown catch and has only been burned on a couple of occasions.

Moore is a challenging player to face due to his speed, and he has a career average of 16.1 yards per reception with four touchdowns already this season.

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