Polamalu ?

[Iron Steeler]

Does anyone else believe that Troy was not 100% this past Saturday. He made two half hearted tackles in the red zone against ray rice.

I understand that just the very presence of Troy on the field make QBs and Offensive coordinators quiver... and I believe that was the case with Flacco...

But does anyone have any news on troy ankle?

it will sure help to have him at 100% on sunday

[SMR]

Does anyone else believe that Troy was not 100% this past Saturday. He made two half hearted tackles in the red zone against ray rice.

I understand that just the very presence of Troy on the field make QBs and Offensive coordinators quiver... and I believe that was the case with Flacco...

But does anyone have any news on troy ankle?

it will sure help to have him at 100% on sunday

Thank you sooooo much. I was at the game and I thought I was the only one who noticed that! You really got me wondering now, lol. My guess is that he may be hurting just slightly and wanting to save some gas for the next game (imagine that!) Just my two cents.

[Iron Steeler]

I really think that tomlin and labeau put him out there like a decoy to mess with flaccos head

[SMR]

I really think that tomlin and labeau put him out there like a decoy to mess with flaccos head

We shall see what happens against the Jets this Sunday. Can't wait!!

[Devilsdancefloor]

He really seemed "human" saturday i was thnk man he must not be 100%

[JayC]

troy didn't have his best game so i hope he is saving it for the jets

most likely he is still hurting

[Count Steeler]

Think they were setting up the Pats*.

[Dino 6 Rings]

Rust

[Merchant]

Everyone has a bad game once in a while. Just ask Brady.

[steelerdude15]

It's nothing I'm really worried about.

[The Duke]

other than letting rice score that touchdown he didn't have any bad plays

As long as he's not a liability out there the few times he's not superhuman, I'm okay with it

He'll bring it against the jets though

[I-Want-Troy's-Hair]

here's a couple articles that may answer your answer. Blame it on interchangeable safeties. Another thing thing for opposing offensives to think about.

http://blog.triblive.com/view-from-t...ss+Box+Blog%29

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_718622.html


Two days after doing a pretty fair imitation of his best friend on the Steelers, Ryan Clark said he is under no illusion that he is Troy Polamalu.

But it is no coincidence or fluke that Clark, not Polamalu, intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and made two tackles behind the line of scrimmage in the Steelers' 31-24 win over the Ravens last Saturday.

Since the first half of December, Clark and Polamalu have been playing both safety positions, with the latter sometimes serving as the last line of the Steelers' defense -- and Clark morphing into Polamalu.

Not that Clark put it that way Monday afternoon after the Steelers met at their team headquarters and eased into preparation for Sunday's AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field.

"I'm never going to be that guy," Clark said of Polamalu, "but the (safety) position is interchangeable. You talk about two guys who have played together for a number of years now, have played this defense for a long time. He does things different ways than I do, but as far as the play-call goes we just play wherever we want as long as one safety is doing whatever is drawn up and the other is doing the other thing."

Necessity proved to be the mother of this invention. And it will give New York quarterback Mark Sanchez something more to think about when he tries to beat the Steelers for the second time this season and lead the Jets to their second Super Bowl.

Sanchez, as he will be reminded of countless times this week, beat the Steelers on Dec. 19 without Polamalu, who missed the game because of an Achilles injury.

Polamalu and Clark hatched the plan to move between the two safety positions roughly two weeks earlier to help protect the six-time Pro Bowler's right foot.

"It's actually whatever Troy wants -- let me not sit here and fool you and say we do what I want to do," Clark said with a laugh. "We come out of the huddle and we figure out what we want to do. Does he want to be back? Do I want to be back?

"You can't tell what we're doing now as much as you used to. You'd see Troy at certain positions and you knew what was going on, whereas now we kind of play all over."

By moving around less, Polamalu has somehow become even harder for opposing offenses to track. And the eight-year veteran has thrived in his new role while playing more within the confines of the Steelers' defense.

"The plays he's made (this season), he's always been in the spot he's supposed to be in by defensive design," Clark said of Polamalu, who tied a career high in interceptions (seven) this season. "But on the plays he's not making, that's not leaving voids -- there's no areas we have to cover up because he's doing certain things. And when he gets his opportunity to make plays, he's going to do that."

Â

Three questions with Steelers outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley:

What was your take on Michigan, your alma mater, firing coach Rich Rodriguez?

"I read an article talking about former players didn't feel welcome coming back. I didn't feel that was the case at all because one of the first things he said when I met him was, 'I want alumni to come back. I want them to feel welcome, work out, feel free any time to come up here.' When I read that article I was like, 'Man, that's not right.' "

Do you have a routine that you follow the day of a game?

"I don't like to get overhyped. I just like to relax and do what I do on a normal day. If we've got an 8 o'clock game and I feel like I want to go to the mall (during the day), I might go to the mall. Whatever I need to do to relax -- sit around and watch TV, take a nap. Treat the day normal and then when it's time to play, it's time to play."

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

"I am a comedian when I want to be. I'm always laughing, always having fun. If the day was bad, I'm the person that can really lighten up the day for you."

[Galax Steeler]

I think he will be fine and ready to play some ball come Sunday.

[GoSlash27]

^ Previous post is what it was. Troy was playing FS for a lot of the game. Not because he's less than 100%, but because it allows Ryan Clark to pull off his "Spanish Inquisition" routine.
/Monty Python reference ftw

[zulater]

Troy took a bad angle on the one play, and just missed the tackle on the other, ( give Rice some credit, he's been known to make players miss tackles) outside of that without game film I can't really tell you what sort of impact he had on that game?

The bottom line is that the Ravens didn't have un-aided scoring drive the entire game, they had less than 150 yards of total offense, their wide receivers were virtually shut out for the game. I just don't see how the aformentioned is possible if Troy was a liability or non factor out there. Anyone ever consider that the Ravens purposely went away from Troy for most of the game, and his precense limited their offensive output, much as a shutdown corner can take away a weapon without making it on the stat sheet?

Without game film and insight into what defenses were called on specific plays none of us really can offer an informed opinion. As they say the proof is in the pudding, the defense had a great game. Put it this way, I've got a feeling if you said something to LeBeau questioning the quality of Troy's play this past game, he's probably chuckle under his breath. The old saying, you don't know what you don't know would probably apply here.

[Pete The Greek]

Rust

Agreed.

[venom]

I think hes fine. Flacco was throwing away from him . I would love to see a Troy INT to put the Steelers 2 poss in front of the Jets late in the game

[stlrtruck]

I believe it had to do with the way the last game ended for Baltimore. So remove Troy from the line and now you've got to change your game plan. I think Troy is fine and I look forward to the Steelers changing their attack plans throughout the game to confuse Sanchez.

[Burghfan58]

Can't look like a superstar every week. I hope that's all it is.

[Animal Mother]

I believe it had to do with the way the last game ended for Baltimore. So remove Troy from the line and now you've got to change your game plan. I think Troy is fine and I look forward to the Steelers changing their attack plans throughout the game to confuse Sanchez.

That's also what I figured, that the Ravens were intentionally going away from him, so much so that they only generated 126 yards of offense. Way to shoot yourselves in the foot.

[tube517]

No surprise. Confirmed what many knew all along. Troy was playing hurt.

http://burgh.us/3ex

[vasteeler]

yeah, it was pretty obvious he was playing hurt. just wasnt the same

[zulater]

Yeah, it was pretty obvious by the way he was being used that he didn't have his normal speed and explosiveness. With Troy at 100% you got to figure there might have been a play or two he would have impacted to our benifit in that game. Oh well, injuries are a part of football.