Lost in the shuffle

[pensodyssey]

The night definitely belonged to #92, (Kolber: How does it feel to have a night like this one?  #92: It feels alright.  Kolber:  Very nonchalant.  Why is that?  #92:  It's only one game.)  but it was great to see Troy flying around too.  Looked to me he might be getting back to 2005 form.

[Hercules50]

Great observation.

I hope this will be part of an upward trend for Polamalu.

Also, I hope this isn't a fluky one-time burst of ferocity from Harrison, and that what we saw was the light come on for this guy.  

[Winters in Holland]

Good spot.  I thought Polamalu looked excellent as well.



.WiH.

[give'emthaboot]

yeah he looked great.  i was a little worried after a late tackle of McGahee when they were looking at his shoulder, but he was back in on the next series.  great to see him causing havoc.

[aj_law]

Not to be critical, but does anyone else wish the dude would come under control a little bit just before trying to make a tackle?  For every big play he makes (read: the slap on the ball forcing McGahee to fumble), he seems to fly into the backfield and whiff on the ballcarrier more often than you'd like to see.

When he does this, it usually results in the runner having to adjust his route into another defender so it's not really a problem, but still...

Fly to a spot; break down; hit and wrap.

[dcity21]

yeah i know what you mean..

but i honestly would not even try to change him.. He's lucky to have a whole field full of Black and Gold around him so when it happens usually the CB's, an LB, or even a DE will clean it up pretty quickly.. The way this team gets to the ball they can afford to go for KO shots in the backfield or the middle of the field (basically when they have someone behind them)..  

and besides that when he connects on those hits he is leaving a little something in that players head for the next time he gets the ball..

 

[jcharding]

It seems like LeBeau disagrees with the common opinion about Troy.  After noting Troy's noticable work against Baltimore, today's Trib article said:

"Polamalu made other plays against the Ravens that were less noticeable but no less essential, in the estimation of Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.
"He had a tremendous game," LeBeau said. "I can remember four or five plays that were potentially threatening plays to us that Troy just erased. He does that pretty much on a weekly basis." "

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburgh...s/s_537074.html

[Preacherman0]

Not to be critical, but does anyone else wish the dude would come under control a little bit just before trying to make a tackle?

I do!  I do!

Seriously, I liked the way we played vs. Seattle when Clark and Simmons were in there.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to get rid of Troy, but there have been times that I felt his "wildness" cost us, and I think it sometimes hurts his ability to cover.  

On the other hand, LeBeau obviously sees things that we don't, so maybe the concern is a bit overblown.

[pensodyssey]

This to me sounds alot like the point that Ben needs to improve his decision making and throw the ball away more or take a sack.  Can a leopard change his spots?

Yes, there is room for improvement in the mental aspects in the play of #7 and #43.  But I wonder... if you take away the "wildness", don't you also risk losing the more spectacular aspects of their game too?