Why 2013 Will Be the Defining Year for Pittsburgh Steelers’ Troy Polamalu

[Oviedo]

I'm not buying. You can reasonably make the case that Lott is the better form tackler and bigger hitter, but there's a ton of plays Troy makes that Ronnie couldn't imagine making in his dreams.

Troy covers more field than any player the NFL has ever seen. His game speed makes it look like Lott was playing in slow motion if you go back and watch his highlights. No way is Lott lining up 20-30 yards downfield and making ankle tackles in the backfield. Nor is he lining up in the box and then making plays on the ball in the deep middle.

Players have gotten a lot bigger and faster since Lott came into the NFL 30+ years ago. The rules have been slanted toward the offense and the passing game over the most recent years. Lott wouldn't be able to play like himself in today's game.

Despite the size and speed in the modern NFL, every game I've seen live in recent history, there's one guy that looks like he always moving 2x as fast as every other player on the field.

That is a "USE TO" statement. Troy has noticeable lost a step and doesn't cover the field like he use to. I don't see him getting that back.

[flippy]

That is a "USE TO" statement. Troy has noticeable lost a step and doesn't cover the field like he use to. I don't see him getting that back.

I haven't noticed it yet. He's been injured and he's getting older, but I don't think he's lost a step. I expect the regular old Troy this year.