- All eyes: Artie Burns understands what it means to play cornerback, and this past year he learned even more what it means to play the position in the NFL. It's a position where there is little to no margin for error, and when something does go wrong, people are sure to let you know about it.
"You are criticized by everyone," said Burns. "Everybody in the stadium knows what the cornerback or receiver is doing. We are on the outer wing of the whole field. Everybody has their eyes on us. They pay the most attention to us and we are criticized the most."
- He can handle it: This year wasn't the first time Burns heard criticism. It's something that comes with playing the position, and he knew how to handle it.
"It's a given," said Burns. "They are going to say something and you have to take it and pay no mind to it. You have to take the good with the bad. You have to stay level-headed throughout the game. You never know what play might be the one that changes the whole game.
"I had to deal with it growing up, playing high school ball. They criticized me then too and I was just a teenager. You had to grow up fast.
"You take the good with the bad. Every week you have to forget about what happened last week and move on and get better."
- Getting better: Burns talked about getting better, and that is exactly what he did last season. An injury early on got him off to a slow start in training camp and the preseason, but as the season went on, things changed.
"I was playing better," said Burns. "There were some things I was doing good, things I improved on from the beginning of the season. I think I can do things a lot better. I am looking forward to next year. If I didn't get hurt I would have been on a faster track."
