45 Ravens and 45 Steelers suited up for week one on Sunday, but Pittsburgh’s safety Troy Polamalu might as well have been a no show.
Last week, Polamalu told the NFL Network that Ed Reed was the best safety in the game. After 60 minutes of play and a difference of two interceptions, he’s looking like he was correct. Perhaps, Polamalu knew that he was no match for the Ravens in his upcoming game in Baltimore. The Steelers safety was credited with three tackles and three assists in the Ravens 35-7 embarrassment of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were three tackles and three assists that I must have completely missed while watching this game in its entirety.
OK. To be fair, I did see Polamalu’s hair on top of a couple piles after one of the Ravens receivers gained 30+ yards down the sideline. He also threw a punch at Ray Rice after the whistle had blown with his team down 25 points with a quarter left to play in the game.
To me, the burning question that no one seems to be asking is: where the hell was Troy Polamalu in this game? And on top of that, why hasn’t anyone in the national media asked the same question? Remember, he’s the guy that changed the momentum on the Ravens in their week 13 matchup with his sack and strip of Joe Flacco with Baltimore up 10-6 in the 4th quarter. It was a game changing and maybe even a season changing play by a guy that went on to win Defensive Player of the Year. That wasn’t that long ago.
I caught grief from Steelers fans when I wrote that Polamalu was washed up after a poor performance in the Super Bowl. “The once dominant safety couldn’t keep up with Jordan Nelson, Greg Jennings or James Jones the entire game as Pittsburgh’s defense allowed 304 yards passing to the Packers,” I wrote in that piece. So far in week one, that trend has continued.
If you look back at ESPN.com’s recap of the Ravens 31-24 playoff loss to the Steelers on January 15, there is a “Research Note” about Joe Flacco’s inability to recognize Polamalu as a part of the Steelers defense. “Knowing Troy Polamalu’s whereabouts is a top priority for every opposing quarterback – he’s likely to line up in a different spot on each snap,” it says. It wasn’t a priority on Sunday because the once dominant safety was useless to Pittsburgh in a failed attempt to stop Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and the Ravens offense.
This should have been a game that Polamalu took advantage of an offensive line that featured two players that hadn’t taken a preseason snap with the Ravens. Baltimore should have seen blitzes from that crazy haired safety all day long, but they didn’t. Why?
Just before the game, the Steelers signed Polamalu to an extension through 2014. He struggled with an Achilles injury last season, but told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he feels “awesome.” “I couldn’t imagine feeling any better than I do now,” he said. If that’s true, Pittsburgh has some serious concerns as to where Troy Polamalu disappeared to during the pounding that his team took on Sunday.
Even in a bitter rivalry, you never wish for an injury of any player. In fact, I would like to see Polamalu return to form because it makes the matchup between Baltimore and Pittsburgh that much better. But you have to wonder where he was this week and whether his play has carried over from the Super Bowl loss just a few months ago.
Zach Wilt is the Founding Editor of BaltimoreSportsReport.com. You can follow him on Twitter @zamwi or send him an email: zach@baltimoresportsreport.com
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Loved it , just loved it , couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy , and team , and the hit on Ward by JJ , just made my day…………….
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I really don’t believe any of the 45 Steelers showed up. This is a case of one team standing pat and getting old and one team looking forward getting younger and more athletic. In my estimation, the Steelers made a mistake and let their bitter rivals (of course their fans say they aren’t rivals, but they troll our site all the time) ,make changes that will propel them to Harbaugh’s first division title and a bye in the playoffs. 14-2 is coming with one of the easiest schedules in the league and a vastly improved club.
Nobody has brought up the obvious: age and repeated injuries to the knees have robbed Polamalu of his explosive agility and speed. Polamalu still has decent speed, but he no longer has the exposiveness that allowed him to play a gambling style he is known for.
This article seems more like a Facebook rant than a professionally written article.
Thanks Carson. I’m glad you are here to tell us that we are a blog and not a legitimate news source. Congrats.
Everybody has something to say but not one of you all were out there on Sunday so your comments don’t matter. Troy Polamalu went out n did his job he didn’t complain so be a fan of the sport and watch who you want n if you don’t want to watch him turn your channel. I’m still a fan and will always be a fan of Polamalu and the Steelers!!!!
Congrats l.a. lyons noone f—ing cares
*editors note: I took a couple letters out. You still get Thomas’ point.
You ravens still are not winning any championships!!
And what, you think the “over the hill gang” is? You time is done. Keep talking about your six championships because # 7 int coming this year. It’s gonna be a long season my friend. A long season.
Concur with the blog comments, the bias is obvious. Baltimores entire playbook is centered around avoiding Polumalu, so was Green bays in the SB, If you ignore him you lose
What’s your point Pat? So you’re saying the Ravens and Packers had a good game plan and outsmarted the Steelers?
Zack spoke about Troy taking a shot at Ray Rice but he didn’t say is that Ray Rice started the thing! Considering he tried to pull Troy’s head off by his face mask! And people say that the Steelers are dirty players!!
Zach spoke about Troy taking a shot at Ray Rice but he didn’t say is that Ray Rice started the thing! Considering he tried to pull Troy’s head off by his face mask! And people say that the Steelers are dirty players!!
Do you find it funny that Troy apologized to his family, kids, and fans for his cheap shot? He was spotted twisting Ray Rice’s legs in the pile and Rice retaliated. You can be a fan, but be try to be somewhat objective too. The Steelers were frustrated and tempers flared, it happens. Stop being an apologist, the man already admitted he was wrong.
We are the Steelers Shufflin’ Crew
Shufflin’ on down, losing it for you.
We’re so bad we know we are.
Cryin’ after our Raven loss, boo hoo.
You know we’re goina lose games a ton
Struttin’ our stuff for everyone.
We’re a losing team that’s in big trouble.
Look’s like we’re not going to do the Super Bowl Shuffle.
Well, they call me Big Ben,
And I like to dance.
I like lots of women without romance.
We’ve sucked real bad since training camp
Cause Pittsburgh’s image needs to be enhanced.
And we need to do this
Because we’re really really bad.
We’re a losing team that’s in big trouble.
Look’s like we’re not going to do the Super Bowl Shuffle.
This is Dirty Hines, and I’m real gutless.
I like cheatin’ but i love being an ass.
I play dirty all day and smile all night,
I got to get ready for the Sunday fight.
Now I’m as dirty as a Pittsburgh skank,
Jarrett Johnson ran me over like a Sherman Tank.
There’s no one here that’s as dirty as me,
That Johnson hit really made me pee.
I’m Samurai Troy, I have big hair.
Part of the defense, no other team we scare,
I’ve been shampooin’ for quite a while,
Doin’ what’s right and settin’ the style,
I lost my speed, I’m now no good,
Everyone is burnin’ me in my neighborhood.
We’re a losing team that’s in big trouble.
Look’s like we’re not going to do the Super Bowl Shuffle.
I’m the punky RB, known as Mendenhall.
When I hit the turf, I always fall.
I just throw my body all over the field.
Playin’ against the Ravens our loss is sealed.
I’m afraid of Ray Lewis and big Ed Reed.
I’m scared to play, don’t hurt me please.
We’re a losing team that’s in big trouble.
Look’s like we’re not going to do the Super Bowl Shuffle.
Nice work Robbie O.
Of course Troy apologized that’s the type of person he is! But when I saw the replay it showed Ray Rice punch and head butt Ray rice its all over you tube from NFL on CBS. So I don’t know about leg pulling but I saw exactly what Ray Rice did! But that just proves that Troy is a bigger man! I didn’t hear Rice say anything
Of course Troy apologized that’s the type of person he is! But when I saw the replay it showed Ray Rice punch and head butt Troy its all over you tube. So I don’t know about leg pulling but I saw exactly what Ray Rice did! But that just proves that Troy is a bigger man! I didn’t hear Rice say anything
Whatever you want to believe Steel Lady.
Here’s the quote:
By the time they realized this wasn’t the same old Ravens — I think it was probably the moment Ed Dickson streaked past Troy Polamalu for a touchdown catch — all that was left was an implosion. Roethlisberger looked like he just wanted to hurry up and get the game over with, and Polamalu completely lost his composure and tried to twist Rice’s leg at the bottom of a pile.
“I may have lost it a little bit, which is not a good example, especially to my family and to the fans and children,” Polamalu said. “The truth is, we got our butts kicked today.”
BTW, here’s the Youtube video where your Golden Boy twists Rice’s leg and causing the melee. Nothing worse than an apologist!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF8fMnDK16k
@Robbie O – You rock there Ted Nugent! You’re a lyrical poet!
I think it comes to poor management of the coaching staff , those guys are not stupid but the are slow to move to the obvious no defensive means no points on the board ,, there re several team memebr on the team , each one had the opportunity to make a specil play,
i saw alot of obvous errors and nor change up in tactics , the old pittsburgh steeler went to the ground game when the air game was not there
they had to ground them down and wear down their attitude , they did none of that they were not in it to win,
Mgw you are full of it things as a steeler fan I can admit the ravens punished us in that game are defense looked old and slow very true also so far ravens look like the much better team this year bigger stronger but that fight was not started by troy you said he twisted his leg that because rice was stepping on him so he twisted his leg for it rice then responded to troy retaliation by grabbing him by rapping his arm under his neck in which troy threw him to the ground like a woman again the proof is in the video and of course troy apologized as a Christian even if someone else starts it you turn the other cheek troy was stepped on and got made I don’t blame him for finishing rice off real men have to do that sometime. He may be older and slower bit still more of a man than ray rice watch you video for proof.
Honestly, considering all the jerks that play for the squeelers, Troy P actually seems like a good guy. Now, he did go a little ape sh!t, so lets call an ace an ace and a spade a spade.
Speaking of pittsville squeeler jerks, smiley dirty heinz got the ketsup knocked out him by JJ and it was a beautiful thing. Now lets get him a few more before he slithers out of the nfl.
Ok, so I did a little trolling on the pittsville gazette, to read some of the reactions by the squeeler fan pigs. My favorites were those that were angry at CBS and Phil Simms for bringing up the Mendenhole bin laden defense comments. The shameless idiot bin menden spewed a bunch of mis-informed toxic crap against world enemy #1 getting capped by the Navy Seals, so he should get raked on it as often as possible. ESPECIALLY ON 9/11 !! Thank you Phil Simms for having the balls!!
btw, the penguins are dog sh!t also!!