The shutdown cornerback is nearly extinct in NFL (1 Viewer)

[Saint Droopy]

Pretty good article... and I think this is why Mckenzie has lost his effectiveness as a "shut down" cornerback...



Changes in coverage

The shutdown cornerback is nearly extinct in NFL


I have to thank New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress for the inspiration behind today's column. When he blasted the Chicago Bears cornerbacks two weeks ago, he basically said that Bears Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman weren't the kind of defenders who worried him. In Burress' eyes, they weren't shutdown cornerbacks. They were products of a system that played to their strengths. It was a comment that eventually came back to haunt Burress -- especially since he did little in the Giants' 38-20 loss to Chicago -- but the man still had a point.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/jeffri_chadiha/11/21/shutdown.cbs/index.html

 

[JackT.]

the rule changes will make the "shutdown corner" go the way of the dodo bird. The league wants scoring now. All the leagues want scoring. Just to satisfy the casual fan. No longer can you touch a receiver. Why not just put dresses on all offensive "skill" players and let them run free. I, for one, love defense. It is harder to play defense and therefor when a defense make a good or great play then they are showing the real talent. Soon I can see the NFL doing away with defense altogether. Sort of sarcasm but not really. I always believed you put your best players on the field and let them play. Now totally interfering with the receiver isn't right but let the defensive player have a chance to do his job.

 

[rjackson57]

Good article. The NFL usually works in cycles, and hopefully, in the near future the rules will once again loosen up and allow corners to actually cover. It's so interesting when you think about it. Mel Blount and Lester Hayes would probably be reduced to average corners if they played today (due to today's rules).

 

[Summed7]

...won't ever be extinct while champ bailey is still playing

 

[Super Dad]

The NFL preaches about good QB play makes it were you can't hit them anywhere but the stomach and even then you can't drive through them you have to ask them to sit down. On the other hand I watched Donavan Darius' leg get broken and the NFL says thats part of the game. He is as important to that D as Gerrard is the their O. If that was TO the NFL would be rewriteing the rule today. Roy williams made a great tackle and got a rule written for him but nothing for WR that goes low 25 yards away from the play.

 

[killah]

Did the shut down CB ever exist? There was a guy named D. Sanders out there but not many other guys you can name in the same breath. C. Woodson was supposed to be that kind of player but he never lived up to the hype. In his day, Woodson from the Steelers was one of the best I have ever seen. C. Bailey is clearly the best in the game right now but C. McAllister ain't chopped liver either. These guys don't come along very often, when you have a chance to get one take them.

Which is exactly why I hope we go after Nate Clements for 07.

 

[Super Dad]

Clements is one of those guys like McKenzie that is just a good player but he soes not usually get burned

 

[vanakin]

...won't ever be extinct while champ bailey is still playing

He's close, but not shutdown.He still gets help over the top on Randy Moss..I seen it!

 

[rjackson57]

Did the shut down CB ever exist? There was a guy named D. Sanders out there but not many other guys you can name in the same breath. C. Woodson was supposed to be that kind of player but he never lived up to the hype. In his day, Woodson from the Steelers was one of the best I have ever seen. C. Bailey is clearly the best in the game right now but C. McAllister ain't chopped liver either. These guys don't come along very often, when you have a chance to get one take them.

Which is exactly why I hope we go after Nate Clements for 07.

In the late 60s and 70s it did exist. The rules tightened and became more difficult for corners during the late 70s due to the aggressive play of players like Mel Blount. Coaches have stated that the rules tightened as a direct result of Mel Blount's physical play against receivers. During his age, he was a "shut down corner". Things later loosened up a bit and we saw players like Everson Walls and then Darrel Green become shut down guys as they were allowed to run down the field and use minimal contact to make plays. Deon also emerged shortly thereafter.

Now, the shutdown corner is rare with only Bailey in my opinion.

 

[equivocator99]

Good article. The rule change is the biggest factor IMHO. I seem to remember the NFL always having big fast receivers and good cover corners too.

The media is fickle. This is a good article, but I have seen the articles in Denver when Champ wasn't playing so well. And it wouldn't surprise me to see the media swarm all over the Chicago corners if they produce a good game in the playoff win. I seem to remember Tillmann shutting down Randy Moss a few years ago and almost singlehandedly knocking the Vikings out of the playoffs. If that isn't a good cover corner I don't know what one is. JMHO.

Steve Smith would disagree with you with regards to Tillman. He absolutely killed him in the playoffs last season.

 

[MLU]

...won't ever be extinct while champ bailey is still playing

A Joe Horn with two bad knees exposed Champ Bailey...

IMO, there hasn't been a shutdown corner in the NFL since Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson. QB's looked to see where they were and just avoided that side of the field altogether. When they did dare venture in their direction, it was an incompletion at best, an interception returned for a touchdown at worst.

 

[SO-WHAT]

There never was and never will be a
Shutdown cornerback.

To every good or if you want to all
a shutdown cornerback there is a
good set of Linebackers and a good
Defensive line playing in front of them!