2Squirrels1Nut
Footballguy
I'm not sure how Sean Taylor hasn't been mentioned yet.
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Troy Polamalu (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter LHUCKS
- Start date
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
He was great, but he isn't even in the Hall of Fame, and I'd be surprised if he ever makes it.Balco said:
Given that, it is hard to say that Polamalu is better than Reed. Both are fantastic, though, so being number 2 or even 1b in this discussion is not shameful at all.
Unfortunately just not enough of a sample size ... obviously not his fault and what a shame
STEADYMOBBIN 22
Footballguy
Or Troy. Palamalu is great, but he does miss a fair amount of tackles.Carver said:cvnpoka said:You obviously did not see Ronnie Lott play football.
2Squirrels1Nut
Footballguy
It's hard to compare safeties across eras, even from just 20 years ago, given how much the passing game has changed. I agree Taylor's resume was too short. By the time he was killed I viewed Taylor and Polamalu as the two best in the NFL, on roughly equal terms. The only guys who compared were Reed and Sanders who at their best would be in that group.
Taylor was the most phenomenal athlete I've ever seen play that position (hit like a LB, and ran like a CB) and had a completely fearless killer personality. I don't think any safety moved as well from the middle of the field to cover a deep sideline pass as he did - he could cover an unbelievable amount of ground. I don't know how you'd get the guts to run a crossing pattern with him out there in zone coverage waiting for you.
Polamalu is more like a piranha, athletic to be sure but I think his biggest strength is instinct and aggression and that "it" factor - Taylor had it too - that always seems to mean that he's making important plays at the right time. The mark of a good safety is that he's apparent on the field, and that certainly applies to Polamalu and applied to Taylor. They're the relatively rare players - and even rarer defensive players - who you'd pay the price of admission to go and see.
And yeah, I miss Taylor. He'd have been in his prime right now and I believed at the time he died he was going to end up being the best of his generation when it was all said and done.
AhrnCityPahnder
Yinz-o-riffic
"the gap between Troy Polamalu and the rest of the NFL's safeties might be wider than any such divide in the league." -- Albert Breer, NFL Network reporter
Adebisi
Footballguy
LHUCKS
Footballguy
Best Ball Hawk - Ed Reed
Best Run Stopper - Lott
Best Instincts - Polamulu
To me it's a two horse race between Reed/Polamulu for the all around...probably lean towards Reed for now...both far surpass any safety from the 80s or 90s although Lott played in a different era where the passing game was not as prevalent so tough to compare.
Best Run Stopper - Lott
Best Instincts - Polamulu
To me it's a two horse race between Reed/Polamulu for the all around...probably lean towards Reed for now...both far surpass any safety from the 80s or 90s although Lott played in a different era where the passing game was not as prevalent so tough to compare.
Choke
Footballguy
I would actually say that in 1-on-1 coverage Lott is better then the other two. Reed does superior damage from playing like a free safety getting after the ball.
timschochet
Footballguy
Had he lived, I believe Sean Taylor could have been in this discussion. Physically he was as amazing as any safety I have ever seen.
Frenchy Fuqua
Footballguy
Reed has been more of a ballhawk over his career than Polamalu but I can't think of a safety that has made more game-winning/4th quarter plays than Polamalu. He's produced game-changing plays against Atlanta, Buffalo and Baltimore just this year. Certainly the 2008 AFC Championship. The 2006 Divisional Game at Indy, should have had the INT on Manning that was overturned.
LHUCKS
Footballguy
yeah, this puts him in the conversation with Reed IMHO
Choke
Footballguy
David Fulcher, Brain Dawkins type of tier?
Sabertooth
Footballguy
Surprised Butler doesn't get more love here. I guess being an All Pro 4 Times doesn't hold much weight. 
DaWidowMaker
Footballguy
I agree that Adrian Wilson is a good-great player but after watching him this year I will say that he's declined quite a bit. As far as in Polomalu/Reed class?....no way. Sean Taylor was indeed special and its a shame that he's gone.
timschochet
Footballguy
Best safeties in USC history:
1. Taylor Mays
2. Troy Polamalu
3. Ronnie Lott
This ranking is based on how they performed in college.
1. Taylor Mays
2. Troy Polamalu
3. Ronnie Lott
This ranking is based on how they performed in college.
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2Squirrels1Nut
Footballguy
I'm too young to remember Lott in college, but there's no way that Mays was more impactful or better than Polamalu. Polamalu played on some pretty inferior defensive teams during the late pre-Carroll and early Carroll eras and was pretty much the only standout playmaker on those teams. Mays was a second generation Carroll recruit who, while certainly an exceptional player, was nowhere near as noteworthy on his defense. There were teams for which it was arguable if he was even in the top four best defensive players on his own team. You'd never say that about Polamalu and I'm pretty confident that you'd not say that about Lott either.
Frenchy Fuqua
Footballguy
I think you're way off on that one. One made impact plays at USC, the other did not. Mays is a size/speed guy that looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane. Stats don't always tell the story but in this case they do, over their careers at USC Polamalu led Mays in every meaningful category.Tackles per game
Polamalu 6.8
Mays 5.4
Tackles for Loss
Polamalu 29
Mays 2
Forced Fumbles
Polamalu 7
Mays 1
INT-yards
Polamalu 6-142
Mays 5-40
Blocked kicks
Polamalu 4
Mays 0
Touchdowns
Polamalu 3
Mays 0
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Stillers Jr.
Footballguy
After the 2008 AFC Championship game and seeing how that ultimately ended...Troy is forever "the man".
Admittedly a homer pick but I'd rather have Troy than anyone else.
Admittedly a homer pick but I'd rather have Troy than anyone else.
Evilgrin 72
Distributor of Pain
.......sliced bread?
Choke
Footballguy
derp derp
moleculo
Footballguy
Dennis Smith was a pretty damn good USC safety too:College career
Smith was a consensus All-America choice as a senior at USC in 1980. He played in two Rose Bowls for the USC Trojans. He played in a secondary which included 3 future NFL All-Pro's: himself, the San Francisco 49ers' Ronnie Lott, and the Minnesota Vikings' Joey Browner. Smith was a consensus All-America choice as he lettered four times in football and three times in track. He posted 205 career tackles and 16 interceptions. He was inducted into the USC Ring of Fame in 2001. Smith played at Southern California (1977-1980) for John Robinson in a star-studded defensive backfield and is a member of the USC team that won the national championship in 1978.
ETA: Lott, Smith, Browner...pretty good defensive back-field. The 4th guy from that group was Jeff Fisher.
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Dought Man
Footballguy
Being a Steeler fan, I love Troy. But, I feel like he goes for the "splash" play more than he should. I imagine the coaches want him to do this and give him free reign to make decisions, but its funny how many times he is clearly out of position on a big TD and the announcers NEVER mention it. He is better against the run than Ed Reed in his prime, but Ed Reed was the best safety for coverage that I've ever seen.
Troy is the best right now for sure. He's no Ronnie Lott though.
Troy is the best right now for sure. He's no Ronnie Lott though.
Steel Dillo
Footballguy
Sabertooth
Footballguy
Reed had a great performance yesterday despite his heavy heart.
Sinrman
Footballguy
Yep, I don't need to go any further. Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu are first ballot HoFers IMO. The only other one that was onthe same level was Ronnie Lott. There have been a number of good ones in the past, but none that belong in this echelon.
Sabertooth
Footballguy
Willie Wood probably puts all of them to shame. Nine straight All-Pro selections. During that time the Packers won 5 NFL championships including the first two Super Bowls.
So these new guys still have a ways to go.
So these new guys still have a ways to go.
Mr. Mojo
Footballguy
Ronnie Lott was an overrated cheap shot artist.
Frenchy Fuqua
Footballguy
P-F-R saysEd Reed: 9 seasons, 7 Pro Bowls, 4 1st Team All-Pro (not including 2010)Polamalu: 8 seasons, 6 Pro Bowls, 2 1st Team All-Pro (not including 2010)Butler: 12 seasons, 4 Pro Bowls, 4 1st Team All-ProBob Sanders was some stiff competition for Polamalu at strong safety, guy won DPOY in 2007.
Playing S for a poor team provides far more opportunities than playing S on a top defense. I might be wrong but I'm figuring Wilson is a SS while the other two are FS although I think the Steelers would consider Troy a LB some weeks and CB others so who knows what they truly consider his position.Lynch was better than Wilson too IMO.He's an excellent player but he's no game changer like Reed and Troy.To be fair, (which is prob the point of the thread) Wilson could be the fifth best S ever and still not be as good as Troy and Reed.Not even the best of his time. If Wilson didn't play in football Siberia, he'd be gushed over.
spider321
Footballguy
Cheap shot artist?No. He played when it was still a man's game. Goodell has sissified the league.
