Current Most Underrated Steelers Player

[Steelerphile]

Re: Current Most Underrated Steelers Player

I tend to think the impact of Ryan Clark is overly dramatized. Does anyone other than myself find it ironic that Tyrone Carter, who is not noted for ball skills, has three interceptions with about 10% the playing time that Clark has, who has one?

Those picks were balls thrown or tipped right to him. I guarantee you Clark makes those picks too. I like Tyrone Carter and am comfortable with him starting but Clark is a better player.

Clark's one pick was off a deflection on a pass by Ike Taylor. So it wasn't as though he had to make a great play on his one pick either. You would think that Clark should be better in pass defense, but he had a lot of playing time and somehow he was not able to make but one interception. Yet he is often credited for being a big playmaker. I just think his ball skills get inflated in the translation.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Current Most Underrated Steelers Player

I tend to think the impact of Ryan Clark is overly dramatized. Does anyone other than myself find it ironic that Tyrone Carter, who is not noted for ball skills, has three interceptions with about 10% the playing time that Clark has, who has one?

Those picks were balls thrown or tipped right to him. I guarantee you Clark makes those picks too. I like Tyrone Carter and am comfortable with him starting but Clark is a better player.

Clark's one pick was off a deflection on a pass by Ike Taylor. So it wasn't as though he had to make a great play on his one pick either. You would think that Clark should be better in pass defense, but he had a lot of playing time and somehow he was not able to make but one interception. Yet he is often credited for being a big playmaker. I just think his ball skills get inflated in the translation.

I wouldn't say he is a big playmaker, but we don't ask our free safety to do the things that an Ed Reed ball hawking free safety does. Our free safety is more of a big play preventer than a big playmaker. If you look at how many big pass plays we had against us last year after Clark was out with his sickle cell related spleen issues following the Denver game, vs. how few have occurred this year, that is where Clarks true value lies.

[steeld95]

Re: Current Most Underrated Steelers Player

On a national level, I would have to say Ike. I think he is actually one of the most underrated players in the whole league. He is easily of the top cover corners in the league. Yet, he rarely gets any recognition outside of Steeler fans.

[SteelTorch]

Re: Current Most Underrated Steelers Player

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say William Gay. Nobody ever talks about him even though he's shown a lot of talent and flash and filled in very well in McFadden's absence. It seemed most people only expected him to be nothing more than a nickel or dime CB, but I think he has the talent to be a full-fledged starter.

[Jom112]

Re: Current Most Underrated Steelers Player

Not sure if anyone watched ESPN's first take this morning or not. But they had Maurice Jones Drew on there. He was talking about the remaining AFC playoff teams and which team was the toughest to run against.

When talking about Pittsburgh he said that when the Jags played them that they couldn't run to the right side because Aaron Smith was always there making tackles. He said they always had to account for him and they tried to run away from him...

[frankthetank1]

Re: Current Most Underrated Steelers Player

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say William Gay. Nobody ever talks about him even though he's shown a lot of talent and flash and filled in very well in McFadden's absence. It seemed most people only expected him to be nothing more than a nickel or dime CB, but I think he has the talent to be a full-fledged starter.

i agree, when he was first drafted i didnt know anything about him so my hopes were not that high. he was awsome in special teams last season and this season he was excellent when he had to start. i think gay can start next season and do well if needed

[skyhawk]

Re: Current Most Underrated Steelers Player

Clark, Moore, and Patrick Bailey.

Everyone knows how good A. Smith is.