Tennessee Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor was a healthy scratch for the win over the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 18, seven months after signing a three-year deal with the team.
Taylor was inactive in Week 6 after starting the first five games at outside cornerback, a shift from his four seasons in New Orleans where he was a nickel cornerback excelling in the slot and as a blitzing defensive back.
The Tennessee Vol alum, speaking about his demotion for the first time on Oct. 21, called the move a "tough situation." Titans coach Robert Saleh spoke to Taylor last week before the game about the decision and why.
"He just broke some stuff down to me, and (you) gotta take it to the chin," Taylor said.
Taylor's shift to outside cornerback was a part of
the plan when he signed with the Titans, and his addition (along with Cor'Dale Flott's signing also in March) was seen as a much-needed addition for a cornerback-starved Titans secondary.
But Taylor is still adjusting to the Titans defensive scheme, seven weeks into the season. Taylor noted that Saleh's scheme is "different than anything I've played."
"Last week, I just wanted to give him a reset. Catch his breath," Saleh said. "For him, just playing out there at (outside) corner for the first time, there's just some things that he needed a reset on. That was basically the gist of my decision."
Pro Football Focus grades Taylor as the 100th-best cornerback out of 102 in the NFL this season. In Taylor's last game against Houston in Week 5, the veteran cornerback gave up a couple short completions on the Texans' first touchdown drive, then allowed a touchdown off of a scramble later in the game.
"I don't think my play was bad. Couple catches here or there, scored on in the scramble game (versus) Houston," Taylor said. "If that was the decision maker, that's the decision maker."
Gentry Estes contributed to the reporting.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Alontae Taylor was inactive for Titans last week: 'Gotta take it to the chin'
