“His eyeeeeeeees, man.”
That’s how Aqib Talib says it, with his gravelly, almost country voice, in a cadence that elongates some words — “his eyes, man” — and then speaks others in staccato — “they can do no wrong right now.”
Talib is talking about the eyes of Chris Harris, who is great. Talib’s fellow Denver cornerback and Kansas Jayhawk is performing a dream season, ranked No. 1 on among CBs, and thus will be due for a slight raise.
On Tuesdays, I co-host with my man Nate Kreckman on 102.3 ESPN, and Talib joined us Tuesday. He gave a curious answer when asked why Harris is just so overwhelming this season. We thought he’d say something about his feet or legs or hands, but we got eyes.
“You get in that zone as a defensive back,” Talib explained. “We train our eyes to stay on the receiver, and you’d be surprised by how many more plays that helps you make. His eyes right now are automatic — they can do not wrong. Every play, his eyes are where they’re supposed to be. And his technique is great right now. There are a lot of guys who never figure it out, there are little zones you get into as a DB. Sometimes your eyes are where they should be, and you are in year No. 6, and sometimes they’re not where they should be. It comes and it goes — it can go away like that. You have to put emphasis on it at practice.”
Talib was asked about self-critiquing, and said: “All the tiiiiiime.”
As if we were in the Dove Valley film room, Talib then said, “Look where I’m looking — they’re running a comeback, and he’s open and look where my head is, looking at the quarterback. My eyes aren’t where they supposed to be.”
But as for Harris, “right now, if you break down the film, Chris Harris’ eyes are where they’re supposed to be every play. And that’s why he’s making so many plays.
“He’s gonna make some money. He’s playing his butt off. By March, he’s going to get a nice phone call.”
After Sunday’s game, in which Harris had an interception, among NFL cornerbacks, and he said: “This season, I’m the best.”
Though I will point out this fact from Pro Football Focus, just to spark some debate. In the past month (four games) the passer rating of QBs targeting Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman has been 0.0. Sherman has picked off as many passes (two) as he has allowed receptions in that span.
Chew on this
• In the NBA, there aren’t “must win” games in December, but Wednesday night for the Nuggets is a “man you really, really need to win this one” game. Denver returns home after (they played hard, for stretches, in the third game at Toronto, but couldn’t execute late in regulation and blew it in overtime). Well, the 10-11 Miami Heat are in town for this Wednesday game. And after this, the 9-12 Nuggets play Houston (16-4), San Antonio (15-6), Houston again and the L.A. Clippers (15-5).
The great Grantland.com featured an at new Miami No. 1 option Chris Bosh.
• Speaking of Grantland, the site also featured a from this past year. This was a sharp line: “You’re looking at a man who got on an elevator feeling like Sean Connery and got off it knowing he’s actually Roger Moore.”
• David Letterman has for his final show — May 20, 2015.
• Happy 56th birthday to , which thus gives me a chance to (I didn’t know how to type an umlaut over the U).
Benjamin Hochman: bhochman@denverpost.com or
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