Talib, who spent his first four-plus seasons playing in the NFC South with Tampa Bay, is familiar with the flashy veteran.
Julio Jones was near the top of the league in every major category when Talib held him to a season-low six catches. He caught just three of his first 10 for 22 yards.
Talib knows exactly what to expect from Smith — his best effort and a lot of chatter.
And still to come was his premier performance, spearheading an effort to shut down New Orleans' tight end Jimmy Graham,Bobby Cox Jersey, who tops all receivers with 10 touchdowns but was held without a catch against New England for the first time in a span of 46 games.
Coach Bill Belichick was more candid than usual when asked about the player who leads the team with four interceptions and who's been solely responsible for shutting down some of the league's elite pass catchers.
"I'm practicing good," Talib said, with a wide grin. "Day to day. Trying to get back."
"Maybe Ty would be similar in that he was a good corner and you could put him on a lot of players and not maybe feel like you need to give him a lot of help," he said. "I think Talib is a guy that we have a lot of confidence in and probably would treat his matchups a little bit differently than we've treated some other ones in the past."
Belichick went so far as to compare Talib to former Patriots' cornerback Ty Law.
New England's secondary withstood the absence of its top playmaker, going 2-1 during the stretch. The Patriots (7-2) could benefit from his return against the Panthers (6-3), who have won five straight games and scored 30 or more points in five of their past seven.
The Patriots cornerback injured his hip in the Patriots' win against New Orleans on Oct. 13 and missed the next three games. He hadn't spoken after practice until Thursday, when he said he's eager to return to the field Monday night for New England's game against the Carolina Panthers.
The following week, Talib's talents helped limit Cincinnati's A.J. Green to five catches for 61 yards. Green now leads the league in yards and ranks second in receptions.
"He brings it every Sunday or Monday or whenever the game is,Aron Baynes Jersey," Talib said. "I think if you're competitive like that,Ultra Boost Wholesale, you're going to be pretty successful."
Smith has tallied more than 800 receptions and 11,Shoes Sale Cheap Online,000 yards in his career, and has a team-high 42 catches for 450 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Shadowing the opposition's top threat is becoming commonplace for Talib.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — For a guy who loves to talk on the field, New England's Aqib Talib sure has been quiet lately.
"You've got a lot of guys who do a lot of talking to (the media), and we get out there and they don't say too much on the field," Talib said. "But Steve is definitely one of those guys, he's going to do it on the field."
"He's continued to progress. We'll keep doing,Braden Holtby Jersey, as they can tolerate it, do more and evaluate how they do at a little bit higher level," Belichick said. "Then if that goes well, then ramp it up and see where we are as we go through the week."
Fresh off the Patriots' bye last week,Cheap Carolina Panthers Youth Jersey, Talib was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. That's the same designation he's had for a while, and he said watching his teammates play without him was "the worst thing in the world."
"Yeah," he said with a smile, "I say a couple words."
Should Talib return for New England's only Monday night game this season, he likely will be matched up with one of the most successful receivers of the past decade in Steve Smith.
"Unbelievable player, happy to have him on the field with us," said defensive end Rob Ninkovich. "I think the guys that stepped in when he was gone, they did a great job, but having him back is just going to help us as far as have more depth and keep guys rolling."
Not unlike Talib.

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"He plays with such aggression," Lions center Dominic Raiola said. "He really plays hard, and plays to the whistle every play."
"Oh, baby! For real? Are you serious? A hundred stacks?" Burleson said. "That's one of the biggest I've heard of, but when you have a guy who people look at as quote-unquote dirty, a play that might not be as dirty could be deemed as such, and you're going to have to deal with the consequences. So it's tough. I hope he appeals it, because I don't think that was worthy of being fined $100,000."
Burleson was taken aback when told of Suh's fine.
"I don't know if he really went down," Raiola said. "I think he kind of hit him on the hip and fell. ... That's out of my hands."
DETROIT (AP) — Ndamukong Suh's latest controversial play drew a hefty fine.
It's believed to be the largest fine for an NFL player for an on-field violation, although suspensions without pay can result in bigger financial hits.
The NFL fined Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison $75,000 for a 2010 hit on Cleveland wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, although that was later reduced to $50,Fj?llr?ven K?nken Sverige,000. Like Harrison, Suh has a history of fines. The NFL fined Suh $30,000 last year for unnecessary roughness when he kicked Houston quarterback Matt Schaub in the groin area. He was suspended two games in 2011 after stomping on Green Bay's Evan Dietrich-Smith.
"He just basically said that he can't make those types of mistakes — he can't put us in a position where we've got to battle back from mistakes like that," wide receiver Nate Burleson said. "He also said,Cheap MLB Gear, with him having a target, and people looking for him, they're looking at us in the same light. So as a team we've got to understand that the microscope is on us."
Suh has also been fined in previous seasons for roughing up quarterbacks Andy Dalton, Jay Cutler and Jake Delhomme.
Suh said Sunday he wasn't going after Sullivan's knees,Sac ?? Dos Kanken Pas Cher, adding that the two had discussed the play at halftime. Detroit players said Suh apologized to the team Tuesday.
"That's all part of his leadership role this year," Raiola said. "We respect that, and I'm just glad we're not losing him for any games."
The Detroit defensive tackle was docked $100,Wholesale Jerseys,000 by the NFL for his illegal low block on Minnesota center John Sullivan in the Lions' season-opening victory Sunday. Suh hit Sullivan during an interception return by Detroit linebacker DeAndre Levy, and the penalty negated what would have been a touchdown.
Suh was named a defensive captain for the Lions this season, and they're hoping his fourth year as a pro will be a productive one. Raiola said Suh's talk with the team Tuesday was a good step.
When asked what he would think if a player with a track record rolled up on his knees and was fined $100,Wholesale Shoes China Free Shipping,000, Raiola was unsure.
NFL spokesman Randall Liu said Tuesday that vice president of football operations Merton Hanks notified Suh of the fine,Bill Lee Jersey. Suh was not in the locker room at Detroit's practice facility when it was open to reporters Tuesday. A text message was sent to him seeking comment.