Alontae Taylor filled slot nicely for New Orleans Saints in season opener
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Alontae Taylor still is learning the nuances of how to deal with the space, which is to be expected. The New Orleans Saints' season opener was his first NFL regular-season game as the team's nickel, and playing in the slot is different than playing cornerback.
"Outside corner, you have the sideline to help you out a little bit," Taylor said. "I feel like slot nickel is very much harder than playing outside corner, as for right now. A lot of space, a lot of windows that the ball can be thrown.
"But outside corner, you kind of know, 'All right, this is what I'm going to do, I have the sideline here so I can play this this way and this this way.' But in that slot, you can't play everything the same way, especially with the receivers that you have and the tight ends."
Taylor played the position more than satisfactorily in the Saints' 16-15 victory over Tennessee, and hopes to build on that performance Monday night, when New Orleans (1-0) plays Carolina (0-1) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
"He did a nice job," Saints defensive coordinator Joe Woods said. "There's always some things you can get better at, but I think overall he did a nice job. We looked at the tape, easy corrections to make.
"But he has the type of ability that I like in there. He has size, he's quick, he's aggressive, he likes to tackle. He'll keep getting better every week."
Taylor, who finished with five tackles and a pass defensed, remains his own harshest critic.
