Steelers CB Steven Nelson on being slept on: ‘It comes with the territory’
“People still sleeping on me man, but you know it comes with the territory.”@Nelson_Island joins @jimrome to talk about if he is getting the respect he deserves as a top corner in the league. pic.twitter.com/t5fJsfpvho
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) October 16, 2020
Professional athletes love to talk about how they don’t get enough respect. Rodney Dangerfield would be proud.
Last season, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson had one interception. But if you dug into his numbers, beyond what the boxscore you saw that Nelson was indeed one of the best coverage players in the league. But he wasn’t really recognized for it in large part because of all the talent around him on the Steelers defense.
This week Nelson was on the Jim Rome Show and once again talked about people sleeping on him and he and Rome talked about how it is hard to make splash plays like interceptions when you don’t get throw at.
Last season, Nelson’s coverage grade according to Pro Football Focus was an impressive 80.3. This was the best of his career and among the better grades across the league.
But this season things aren’t as good. Nelson has two interceptions on the season but his coverage grade is down to only 66.6.
Nelson is a solid football player but the entire secondary is suffering this season. We want to see all of the defensive backs step up their game in the coming weeks as the Steelers prepare to face their first big challenge of the season with this three-game stretch.
Do you think Nelson is being underrated this season or is he just struggling? Let us know in the comments.
