Fox Sports top 99 players

[anger 82&95]

[url="http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9666292/Top-99-players-for-'09:-No.-1-20"]http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9666 ... :-No.-1-20[/url]

Big Ben at # three!

3. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Say what you want about the strength of the Super Bowl champions' defense, but Big Ben is unquestionably the true leader of the Pittsburgh Steelers. With two Super Bowl rings and three AFC championship game starts in just five NFL seasons, he's one of the top three quarterbacks in the league. Win another one and he could be No. 1 on this list next year. Kick and scream all you want about it — Roethlisberger's the real deal.

[Oviedo]

I think the first three are reasonable. Given how much younger that Ben is he will be #1 in a couple of years.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Other Steelers on their list:

11. James Harrison, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers: The second Steelers player to make the list, Harrison went from an unsung special teams player to arguably the best linebacker in all of football. I don't know the deal with the Obama/White House stuff, but I do know he can play football.

15. Troy Polamalu, S, Pittsburgh Steelers: One of three Steelers in the top 15, Polamalu scored his second Super Bowl ring in February. A terror all season in '08, Polamalu is the perfect centerfield safety in Dick LeBeau's 3-4 defense. Unfortunately, he may be doomed for the '09 year ... he's on the Madden cover.

65. Casey Hampton, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers: Hampton's the clog at the core of the league's best defense. Perhaps the most dominant unit since the 2000 Ravens, Hampton ensures that no teams run up the gut on Dick LeBeau's Pittsburgh D. Don't kid yourself, he's one of the few reasons Cleveland traded down out of the No. 5 pick to acquire a center in the first round of April's draft.

82. LaMarr Woodley, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers: One of several Steelers defensive players to make the list, he could one day end up being the best of all. Woodley used 2008 as a coming-out party — emerging as one of the top rushing linebackers in the NFL with 11.5 quarterback sacks. He should be even better in '09.

88. Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: My apologies to all the Lynn Swann, David Tyree and John Taylor fans out there — you won't find a more dramatic Super Bowl reception than Holmes' fourth-quarter snag in Super Bowl XLIII. Holmes was making those grabs all year in '08. He'll only make more in '09.

Most glaring omission, in my opinion? Aaron Smith (not that I'm surprised)

[Ozey74]

The Steelers make up 20% of the top 15. I'll buy that.

I kind of like it better when the Steelers don't get the credit they deserve. "Media darlings" is something I hope we never become. Nothing would be worse than watching a bunch of middle aged men swooning over the Steelers like a giddy school girl (ala Peter King with Tom Brady)

[steelernation77]

Harrison is good but not better than Troy. Every good Steeler defense has an OLB like Harrison, not every one has a safety as good as Troy.

[frankthetank1]

Harrison is good but not better than Troy. Every good Steeler defense has an OLB like Harrison, not every one has a safety as good as Troy.

i agree troy should be higher than harrison but i have never seen a steeler defense that had a olb as good as harrison. lloyd and greene are close, porter i guess too but harrison makes a lot more impact in games than any of those olb's. reggie bush made the list and fwp didnt? i would rather have fwp than bush any day. 7 steelers made the list on defense thats awsome although i wouldnt have included hampton who was higher on the list than woodley some how

[Discipline of Steel]

Harrison is good but not better than Troy. Every good Steeler defense has an OLB like Harrison, not every one has a safety as good as Troy.

i agree troy should be higher than harrison but i have never seen a steeler defense that had a olb as good as harrison. lloyd and greene are close, porter i guess too but harrison makes a lot more impact in games than any of those olb's. reggie bush made the list and fwp didnt? i would rather have fwp than bush any day. 7 steelers made the list on defense thats awsome although i wouldnt have included hampton who was higher on the list than woodley some how

I disagree. Harrison is the epitome of Steeler football and has the highest rate of splash plays I have ever seen. Not to mention he backs that up with more than adequate stats.

[ghettoscott]

no Hines?

[RuthlessBurgher]

no Hines?

I cherish any slight of Hines. He takes it personally, and it motivates him to go out to take guys heads off all while catching over 1000 yards worth of balls. It's like clockwork. I'm not sure if it would happen that way without the perceived disrespect, so I like it whenever folks overlook him. Provides fuel for the fire inside him.

[frankthetank1]

Harrison is good but not better than Troy. Every good Steeler defense has an OLB like Harrison, not every one has a safety as good as Troy.

i agree troy should be higher than harrison but i have never seen a steeler defense that had a olb as good as harrison. lloyd and greene are close, porter i guess too but harrison makes a lot more impact in games than any of those olb's. reggie bush made the list and fwp didnt? i would rather have fwp than bush any day. 7 steelers made the list on defense thats awsome although i wouldnt have included hampton who was higher on the list than woodley some how

I disagree. Harrison is the epitome of Steeler football and has the highest rate of splash plays I have ever seen. Not to mention he backs that up with more than adequate stats.

i agree with that. if you think harrison makes more splash plays than any olb you have ever seen on the steelers wouldnt that make him the best or one of the best olb the steelers have ever had?