The Brandon Boykin fan club is growing by the week, and despite the bandwagon getting crowded, don't expect to see No. 25 starting over Antwon Blake for the Pittsburgh Steelers anytime soon.
In Mike Tomlin's Tuesday press conference, he was asked if Boykin has played his way into consideration to potentially start over Blake, and the coach's response was simple - No.
Tomlin stated the team will stick with the rotation of Ross Cockrell, Blake and Boykin, and despite the team leaning on Boykin in the second half of their Week 15 game against the Denver Broncos, it will be business as usual for the Steelers heading into Week 16.
The situation with Boykin has been one of the more absurd and head-scratching in recent memory. Boykin didn't see the field for the first 12 weeks of the season, and in his first significant snaps of the season he had an interception and several pass defenses. With his increasing productivity, and Blake's slumping play, the average fan would think the decision would be a no-brainer.
For Tomlin, think again.
When looking at Blake and Boykin's statistics, there are many categories which are certainly weighted towards Blake, after all, he has been the starter since training camp. However, the one area where the Steelers' secondary struggles is where Boykin excels. That area is pass defense.
Throughout the season, Blake has only had 9 passes defended, with 2 interceptions. In Boykin's limited time on the field he has 4 passes defended and an interception. Sure, Blake dominates the tackling category, and Tomlin has pointed to this as a reason why he is starting over Boykin but at what point does pass defense take a precedent over tackling?
It doens't look like it will happen anytime in the near future. The honest truth of the situation is this -- If Tomlin didn't pull the trigger on Boykin seeing significant snaps over Blake now, he never will. Buckle up Steelers fans, it could be a bumpy ride.