Who’s better? Steelers’ Polamalu or Ravens’ Reed?
PITTSBURGH 鈥� It was the usual trail of questions for Troy Polamalu Wednesday:
鈥� Troy, are the wheels in motion for a contract extension?
At first he chuckled. 鈥淵ou tried,鈥� Polamalu said. And then he chuckled again.
鈥� Troy, did you test your foot full-go and to full satisfaction?
鈥淎bsolutely. I felt awesome,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 imagine feeling any better than I do now.鈥�
鈥� And, Troy, who鈥檚 better, you or Ed Reed?
鈥淚鈥檝e always considered Ed Reed to be the best safety in the NFL, perhaps ever,鈥� Polamalu said. 鈥淪o we can clear that up.鈥�
While Polamalu answered the third question with conviction, the answer left few convinced.
Not that anyone鈥檚 willing to take a firm stance the week of the game, especially a newcomer to the Steelers-Ravens rivalry such as Jerricho Cotchery, who鈥檚 run routes against both safeties.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to do that. I don鈥檛 want to do that. I don鈥檛 want to do that,鈥� said Cotchery.
The leaders of each team respectfully sided with their teammates.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if either one is better,鈥� said Ben Roethlisberger. 鈥淚鈥檇 say Troy鈥檚 better because he鈥檚 my teammate.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 always going to be biased,鈥� said Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. 鈥淚鈥檝e watched Ed, raised him. But let me be totally respectful for the game: Both of those guys play the game the way the game it鈥檚 supposed to be played.鈥�
So, let鈥檚 turn to the stat sheet:
In eight games against the Joe Flacco-led Ravens, Polamalu has one sack, two other tackles-for-loss, one interception, three other passes defensed, and one forced fumble. Two of those plays wrecked games that were pivotal in the Steelers鈥� 2008 and 2010 Super Bowl runs.
In 10 games against the Roethlisberger-led Steelers, Reed has one interception, two other passes defensed, and a fumble recovery. None of those plays turned a game around, or came close.
So, in fewer games, Polamalu has made more plays, with some of them deciding championships.
鈥淓d hasn鈥檛 had a lot of success against us because I think Ben does a great job of moving Ed with his eyes or whatnot,鈥� explained Hines Ward.
Reed, of course, is the top ballhawk in the game. But if he鈥檚 having trouble reading the quarterback鈥檚 eyes, he鈥檚 not going to make many plays.
Polamalu, the blitzer, the run stuffer, the interceptor, is more versatile, as explained by Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau way back in April.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 a safety in the game that can match him,鈥� LeBeau said of Polamalu. 鈥淚 think Reed鈥檚 a wonderful safety. He鈥檚 a great interceptor. He鈥檚 got great speed. Troy is so much more impactful in the running game. He just shows up all over the field. There鈥檚 arguably no safety that can do everything, ever, the way Troy can do it.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e playing quarterback against them, you kind of want to know where they are. But the nod goes to Troy in my mind because of his overall versatility. I mean you don鈥檛 see Reed blitz that much. You can blitz Troy. You can blitz him 10 times a game because he鈥檚 200 pounds. He鈥檒l hold up. If he鈥檚 got to get an offensive lineman, he鈥檒l hold up on him. I just don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 anybody playing that can match his versatility in any way shape or form.
鈥淗e鈥檚 the best.鈥�