Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
Saturday, September 06, 2008
The most recent time the Steelers played the Houston Texans and knocked them silly, they lined up afterward to gush about Troy Polamalu."He's a unique player," coach Bill Cowher said.
"He's our playmaker, our star," linebacker Larry Foote said.
"It's an honor to be on the same field with him," safety Mike Logan said.
That was 2005. Polamalu tied an NFL record for a safety that day by getting three of the Steelers' eight sacks in a 27-7 win.
Is it just me or does it seem as if that game was a lifetime ago?
Polamalu hasn't been the same player since his first knee injury in the 2006 season. He made the Pro Bowl again last season, but that was more on reputation and big hair than production and big plays. He missed five games because of injuries and didn't have a sack or an interception.
That's why Polamalu said something the other day that shocked me.
"I'll take another year just like last year if our defense is just as good."
Let the man explain.
"Football is a team game. Our defense had a chance to be the all-time greatest defense in the history of the game. No defense has ever led the league in total defense, rush defense, pass defense, scoring defense. We had a chance to do all of those things."
We debated just how good the Steelers' defense was. Sure, it ranked No. 1 in the NFL. But it also collapsed at the end of four losses, including the one to Jacksonville in the playoffs.
Polamalu said the Steelers were "really beat down" late in the season, suggesting coach Mike Tomlin might have practiced the fellows a bit too hard. He added he thinks Tomlin learned a lesson and has scaled back his practices.
Our conversation got really interesting when I mentioned how the defense would be even better if a certain safety made a few more big plays. It's been 14 games since Polamalu had a sack, 18 since he had an interception.
"My job isn't to make big plays," he said.
I couldn't believe it, either.
So why did the Steelers give Polamalu a $33 million deal before last season?
"My job is to create big plays," he said. "They could be for me or for someone else. Maybe I can do it by disguising a coverage. Or maybe by pulling an offensive lineman to me on a blitz. If I can do that, James Harrison might be one-on-one with a running back. I'll take that matchup every time."
We agreed Polamalu's worth can't be measured by statistics alone. He makes life miserable for a quarterback because of the confusion he causes. Is he going to line up here? Or there? Is he going to blitz? Or drop back into coverage?
But I didn't yield the point: When Polamalu is at his disruptive best, he gets his share of big plays. Harrison doesn't get 'em all.
"I know I have to make the plays when the opportunities are there,"
Polamalu conceded.
There was total agreement on the final two issues: injuries and big money.
Polamalu has to find a way to stay healthy. It was unsettling when he came to training camp with a bad hamstring. He didn't work out with the Steelers in the offseason -- never a good thing -- so he could train with fitness guru Marv Marinovich in California. Then, he showed up lame and missed most of the exhibition season.
"Physically, I feel good," Polamalu said. "I'm actually way fresher now than I would be if I had gone through camp."
Still, we'll watch the man closely, maybe holding our breath while we do. He had knee, rib and oblique injuries last season. In '06, he missed three games because of a knee problem, left another with a concussion and had a bad shoulder. Heaven forbid we're looking at a trend.
"The first time I hurt my knee, the pile landed on me. There was nothing I could do about that," Polamalu said.
"Last year, my knee was driven right into the turf in New York, which was like pavement. Those things are going to happen.
"So, no, I don't feel like my body is breaking down."
Talking money with anybody is a sensitive subject. So it was with Polamalu.
"I don't play football for prestige or money," he said. "I play because I love the game."
What athlete doesn't say that? I roll my eyes, too. It's always easy to say the money doesn't matter when you're making millions.
But I believe Polamalu. His values are just different. His innocence was palpable when he told of his conversation with former Steelers secondary coach Darren Perry after his interception late against Indianapolis in the 2005 playoffs was disallowed because of a blown call. "DP told me they were messing with my money," Polamalu said. "I had no idea what he was talking about. Then, he explained that they pay you more when you make those plays in big games. That's when I thought, 'That [blown call] really stinks.' "
It worked out OK for Polamalu. He got his Super Bowl ring and his big contract.
"I don't even know what I make," he said, shrugging.
The rest of us know.
Fairly or not, it contributes to how we judge Polamalu as a player.
Three more sacks against the Texans tomorrow would make it a lot easier to think the Steelers are getting their money's worth.
Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
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First published on September 6, 2008 at 12:05 am
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