Nov
Stamps have plan to contain Taylor
Courtesy Calgary Herald:
Craig Dickenson already knew Larry Taylor was a terrific kick returner.
The wee Montreal Alouette’s tour de force’s performance in last Saturday’s East Division final victory over the Edmonton Eskimos merely reinforced the point for the Calgary Stampeders special teams coach.
Taylor returned a pair of punts for touchdowns in the win over the Eskimos, and stopping him will be a main focal point of Dickenson’s game-planning this week.
“It looks like he’s playing with more confidence than ever right now,” said Dickenson, whose special teams didn’t surrender a punt-return touchdown for the third straight season. “He looks faster than the last time we played them, and he looks more sure with his blocking. And the guys in front of him are playing really well. They’re playing fast, they’re getting a body on a body, and he’s got the ability. If you can do that, he can get it right up in there. We have our work cut out for us.”
To be fair, the same should be said for Taylor, who’ll be tested by a cover team Stamps punter Burke Dales believes is the best in the league. His net average of 38.1 yards per kick (average distance of each punt minus the average return) led the league, due in no small part to the guys making the tackles in front of him.
“Nothing’s really going to change for us,” said Dales. “I’m going to try to hang the ball up a little higher, and just try to place it outside the numbers. He’s a great returner, but he doesn’t scare us. That’s not the mindset that we’re going into this game with.”
Besides, pointed out Jon Cornish, who led the team in special-teams tackles with 21, the Stamps are used to dealing with quick, shifty returners.
“It seems like every week we’re playing the same guy — some random guy that just happens to be fabulous,” said Cornish. “But we’ve shown what we can do against the Ian Smarts, the Dominique Dorseys. He’s great, and he’ll have his opportunities because his blockers are very good. But it’s like every week — we have to shut them down.”
“He’s got lightning speed, and he seems to understand the return game real well,” added Justin Phillips, who made three special-teams tackles in the West final win over B.C. “He’s had a lot of success, especially lately as he gets more comfortable with the league and the players surrounding him. He definitely poses a challenge, but we’ve answered the bell all year on special teams.”
Phillips said the key to special teams play is effort; nothing fancier. And Dickenson’s approach to dealing with Taylor doesn’t stray from that philosophy.
