Ed Reed vs Troy Polamalu

[primetime]

I have been watching the top 100 players in the NFL for 2011 and an interesting debate has come up. Who's the better safety? Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens or Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers?

In my opinion, it is Ed Reed. But I will give my reasoning after I see what others think. There is something you can do with Troy that you can't do with Ed Reed.

Thoughts?

 

[leafstk]

Troy all the way! It's the hair

 

[The Fallen Angel]

Troy hands down

 

[smokinj]

I'm gonna have to go with Troy. Hes a more destructive force than Ed. Ed is clearly the better ball hawk though.

You can't really go wrong with either but lets not forget Ed has had some hip injuries and is getting up there in years.

 

[Angel77]

Troy 😀

 

[primetime]

Interesting... Everyone picked Troy Polamalu. Nothing wrong with the choice. Troy is an amazing player. You really can't go wrong with him.

BUT......

Ed Reed is a better safety. Besides the ball-hawking skills, Ed Reed is the best safety. Where do you want your safety? In the secondary, or by the line of scrimmage? Troy makes a lot of plays close to the line of scrimmage. He's more like a linebacker in that sense. Ed Reed plays the secondary like no one's business.

You can gameplan against Troy. You can actually make him completely ineffective in a game. You can't do that with Ed Reed. You can't game plan against Ed Reed. For example, Peyton Manning said Ed Reed confuses him. That's a HUGE compliment.

Troy can't cover to save his life. Think about it. every single time Pittsburgh plays New England, Green Bay (Super Bowl), or Indy, their secondary gets shredded and you never hear Polamalu's name. If you force Polamalu in coverage, he is not effective at all. Remember when Brady ripped the Steelers earlier in the season? Do you even remember a big play Troy made in the Super Bowl. The Packers made Troy Polamalu a complete non-factor. When Indy played them, I didn't see Troy making any big plays. The Steelers play a prolific QB with multiple receivers, Troy disappears...

That never happens with Ed Reed. That's why he is the best safety in the league. I don't need Reed at my line of scrimmage. That's what linebackers and D-linemen are for...

Troy is a great player, but Ed Reed is a better safety....

 

[smokinj]

Interesting... Everyone picked Troy Polamalu. Nothing wrong with the choice. Troy is an amazing player. You really can't go wrong with him.

BUT......

Ed Reed is a better safety. Besides the ball-hawking skills, Ed Reed is the best safety. Where do you want your safety? In the secondary, or by the line of scrimmage? Troy makes a lot of plays close to the line of scrimmage. He's more like a linebacker in that sense. Ed Reed plays the secondary like no one's business.

You can gameplan against Troy. You can actually make him completely ineffective in a game. You can't do that with Ed Reed. You can't game plan against Ed Reed. For example, Peyton Manning said Ed Reed confuses him. That's a HUGE compliment.

Troy can't cover to save his life. Think about it. every single time Pittsburgh plays New England, Green Bay (Super Bowl), or Indy, their secondary gets shredded and you never hear Polamalu's name. If you force Polamalu in coverage, he is not effective at all. Remember when Brady ripped the Steelers earlier in the season? Do you even remember a big play Troy made in the Super Bowl. The Packers made Troy Polamalu a complete non-factor. When Indy played them, I didn't see Troy making any big plays. The Steelers play a prolific QB with multiple receivers, Troy disappears...

That never happens with Ed Reed. That's why he is the best safety in the league. I don't need Reed at my line of scrimmage. That's what linebackers and D-linemen are for...

Troy is a great player, but Ed Reed is a better safety....

Yeah, I love both of them. Even had both of them in a fantasy league one year. Money.

I just think Troy has more to give going forward. Ed Reed is a hell of a safety though. I think Reed knows the end is near too.

 

[storm7400]

Troy is basically an undersized linebacker, hence is success at the line of scrimmage. Yes he can make a play from time to time in the secondary, but as prime stated he's moreso a liability in coverage.

Ed is just basically what you want in a "pure" safety. Coverage, ability to bait a QB, ball hawk, bit of a gambler and always a threat to take it too the house. Although that gambling mentality can from time to time be a deterrent.

Frankly both have injury concerns at times, but its all dependent on your style who you prefer. Well that and the defense you would run.

 

[fantastic8]

As a Steelers fan, I am obviously a little biased. However, our secondary is shit and Troy just masks so many problems they have. They get shredded by New England yes, but no one can cover as much ground in as short a time as he can.

Bottom line, he is the best defensive player in the league when he is healthy.....the bigger problem is he (and Reed) gets banged up a lot.

 

[primetime]

As a Steelers fan, I am obviously a little biased. However, our secondary is shit and Troy just masks so many problems they have. They get shredded by New England yes, but no one can cover as much ground in as short a time as he can.

Bottom line, he is the best defensive player in the league when he is healthy.....the bigger problem is he (and Reed) gets banged up a lot.

I know you're biased, but I can't agree with what you stated. You stated Troy can cover as much ground in as short a time as he can. Ed Reed beats Troy in that category. Ed is a pure ball hawk. He is 50 times better than Troy in coverage. That's why I say Ed Reed is a better safety than Troy.

Don't get me wrong. I love Troy Polamalu. But he has more chinks in his armor in the primary function of his position than Ed Reed. Troy makes tons of plays, but he is not that great of a "safety" compared to Ed Reed...

I wonder who will be ranked higher in the Top 100 players in the NFL as voted on my the players...