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Without Polamalu, Steelers aren't elite
by Alex Marvez
[url="http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/10054516/Without-Polamalu,-Steelers-aren%27t-elite"]http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/1005 ... %27t-elite[/url]
PITTSBURGH - The Steelers began the defense of their Super Bowl title Thursday night with the same madcap offensive surge that helped secure last season's crown.
It's just a shame that Troy Polamalu wasn't around to see Ben Roethlisberger's latest heroics.
The star safety already was in the locker room with a knee injury as Roethlisberger orchestrated the two late scoring drives that gave Pittsburgh a 13-10 overtime victory over visiting Tennessee.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said the initial medical diagnosis calls for Polamalu to miss three to six weeks with a sprained medial collateral ligament. More tests are pending, but Tomlin was optimistic that the damage isn't "anything more than that."
For the Steelers' sake, Tomlin had better be right.
With all due respect to a stingy defense and Roethlisberger's gift for crunch-time quarterbacking, Pittsburgh isn't an elite team without Polamalu on the field. A very talented one? No doubt. The same could be said of New England last year even after quarterback Tom Brady crumbled in the season opener with a knee injury. But an 11-5 Patriots squad still missed the playoffs.
Polamalu is the same kind of difference-maker. Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau admits it. There is no other safety who can wreak havoc from so many different spots on the field. That talent and flexibility allows LeBeau to fully unleash his fearsome zone-blitz scheme.
"Troy is one in a million," LeBeau said of the five-time Pro Bowl selection. "We'll play well without him, but you don't replace Troy."
Polamalu, who wasn't available for a postgame interview, set the pace for Pittsburgh's defense against Tennessee from the first series. He zoomed from the secondary — covering 14 yards like a missile — to upend lightning-quick Titans running back Chris Johnson for a 2-yard loss on third down.
An even more breathtaking Polamalu moment came later in the quarter. He didn't just smother rookie wide receiver Kenny Britt in man coverage on a fly route. Polamalu rotated to make a leaping one-handed interception. And he did it with his left hand, to boot.
Those plays and five other tackles were enough to overshadow three Polamalu penalties. But the long locks that flow from Polamalu's helmet stopped flying with 2:22 left before halftime. Polamalu tried recovering a blocked Rob Bironas field goal attempt when jumbo-sized Titans tight end Alge Crumpler flopped onto his left leg. Polamalu's knee bent inward as his lower body did the type of split normally reserved for gymnasts.
The injury wasn't immediately evident until shown on television replay. Polamalu even sat on a sideline bench unattended by team trainers as Pittsburgh drove for the game's first touchdown. But it wasn't long until Polamalu headed toward the locker room for good as Tennessee countered with its own score.
A Steelers defense that rarely surrendered a deep pass last season with Polamalu on the field was burnt on a 57-yard completion from quarterback Kerry Collins to Britt. Collins then fired a 14-yard touchdown pass to wideout Justin Gage on the next snap.
Two plays, 71 yards in 21 seconds. Polamalu's replacement, Tyrone Carter, didn't even have time to break a sweat.
To its credit, Pittsburgh's defense adjusted well during the second half. Carter — a scrappy, undersized 10-year veteran — was fine in base and nickel packages. When he was subbed in dime situations, first-year safety Ryan Mundy settled down after a rough start.
The Steelers surrendered just one second-half field goal and forced a Bo Scaife fumble on a drive that had reached Pittsburgh territory. Pittsburgh also enjoyed a significant special-teams advantage besides the blocked field goal and a first-quarter Bironas shank. Tennessee's offense didn't have the firepower to score on five second-half possessions that began from inside their 21-yard line — especially against a defense returning most members of the NFL's top-ranked unit in 2008.
"We just didn't finish [drives]," Johnson lamented. "We're not in [the locker room] like they beat us. We gave them the game."
Actually, Roethlisberger took it away.
Just like when he passed Pittsburgh to victory over Arizona in the waning moments of Super Bowl XLII, Roethlisberger was at his best with the game on the line. He completed 11 consecutive fourth-quarter passes, leading Pittsburgh to a game-tying field goal. He also put the Steelers in position to win until wideout Hines Ward fumbled at the Titans 4 with 51 seconds remaining.
That flub didn't cool Roethlisberger. His passing accounted for 60 of Pittsburgh's 63 yards on the first drive of overtime to set up Jeff Reed's 33-yard field goal.
Roethlisberger joked that Pittsburgh let the game go into overtime to create some suspense for team owner Dan Rooney, who won't attend any more games this season because of his new role as U.S. ambassador to Ireland. But some elements of Pittsburgh's offense are no laughing matter. While the Titans still field a staunch defensive line even without free-agent defection Albert Haynesworth (Washington), Pittsburgh's rushing attack remains pathetic with a paltry 36 yards on 23 carries. Roethlisberger also continues to take a beating from holding on to the football too long or mistakes by his offensive line. He was sacked four times and took other hard hits on 43 pass attempts.
Without question, the Steelers would be doomed minus Roethlisberger. But the same dark clouds that would form if such misfortune ever struck are hanging over the Steelers until Polamalu returns — and Big Ben knows it.
"When he's not out there, we're not the same," Roethlisberger said.
Even if the Heinz Field scoreboard read otherwise Thursday night.
by Alex Marvez
[url="http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/10054516/Without-Polamalu,-Steelers-aren%27t-elite"]http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/1005 ... %27t-elite[/url]
PITTSBURGH - The Steelers began the defense of their Super Bowl title Thursday night with the same madcap offensive surge that helped secure last season's crown.
It's just a shame that Troy Polamalu wasn't around to see Ben Roethlisberger's latest heroics.
The star safety already was in the locker room with a knee injury as Roethlisberger orchestrated the two late scoring drives that gave Pittsburgh a 13-10 overtime victory over visiting Tennessee.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said the initial medical diagnosis calls for Polamalu to miss three to six weeks with a sprained medial collateral ligament. More tests are pending, but Tomlin was optimistic that the damage isn't "anything more than that."
For the Steelers' sake, Tomlin had better be right.
With all due respect to a stingy defense and Roethlisberger's gift for crunch-time quarterbacking, Pittsburgh isn't an elite team without Polamalu on the field. A very talented one? No doubt. The same could be said of New England last year even after quarterback Tom Brady crumbled in the season opener with a knee injury. But an 11-5 Patriots squad still missed the playoffs.
Polamalu is the same kind of difference-maker. Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau admits it. There is no other safety who can wreak havoc from so many different spots on the field. That talent and flexibility allows LeBeau to fully unleash his fearsome zone-blitz scheme.
"Troy is one in a million," LeBeau said of the five-time Pro Bowl selection. "We'll play well without him, but you don't replace Troy."
Polamalu, who wasn't available for a postgame interview, set the pace for Pittsburgh's defense against Tennessee from the first series. He zoomed from the secondary — covering 14 yards like a missile — to upend lightning-quick Titans running back Chris Johnson for a 2-yard loss on third down.
An even more breathtaking Polamalu moment came later in the quarter. He didn't just smother rookie wide receiver Kenny Britt in man coverage on a fly route. Polamalu rotated to make a leaping one-handed interception. And he did it with his left hand, to boot.
Those plays and five other tackles were enough to overshadow three Polamalu penalties. But the long locks that flow from Polamalu's helmet stopped flying with 2:22 left before halftime. Polamalu tried recovering a blocked Rob Bironas field goal attempt when jumbo-sized Titans tight end Alge Crumpler flopped onto his left leg. Polamalu's knee bent inward as his lower body did the type of split normally reserved for gymnasts.
The injury wasn't immediately evident until shown on television replay. Polamalu even sat on a sideline bench unattended by team trainers as Pittsburgh drove for the game's first touchdown. But it wasn't long until Polamalu headed toward the locker room for good as Tennessee countered with its own score.
A Steelers defense that rarely surrendered a deep pass last season with Polamalu on the field was burnt on a 57-yard completion from quarterback Kerry Collins to Britt. Collins then fired a 14-yard touchdown pass to wideout Justin Gage on the next snap.
Two plays, 71 yards in 21 seconds. Polamalu's replacement, Tyrone Carter, didn't even have time to break a sweat.
To its credit, Pittsburgh's defense adjusted well during the second half. Carter — a scrappy, undersized 10-year veteran — was fine in base and nickel packages. When he was subbed in dime situations, first-year safety Ryan Mundy settled down after a rough start.
The Steelers surrendered just one second-half field goal and forced a Bo Scaife fumble on a drive that had reached Pittsburgh territory. Pittsburgh also enjoyed a significant special-teams advantage besides the blocked field goal and a first-quarter Bironas shank. Tennessee's offense didn't have the firepower to score on five second-half possessions that began from inside their 21-yard line — especially against a defense returning most members of the NFL's top-ranked unit in 2008.
"We just didn't finish [drives]," Johnson lamented. "We're not in [the locker room] like they beat us. We gave them the game."
Actually, Roethlisberger took it away.
Just like when he passed Pittsburgh to victory over Arizona in the waning moments of Super Bowl XLII, Roethlisberger was at his best with the game on the line. He completed 11 consecutive fourth-quarter passes, leading Pittsburgh to a game-tying field goal. He also put the Steelers in position to win until wideout Hines Ward fumbled at the Titans 4 with 51 seconds remaining.
That flub didn't cool Roethlisberger. His passing accounted for 60 of Pittsburgh's 63 yards on the first drive of overtime to set up Jeff Reed's 33-yard field goal.
Roethlisberger joked that Pittsburgh let the game go into overtime to create some suspense for team owner Dan Rooney, who won't attend any more games this season because of his new role as U.S. ambassador to Ireland. But some elements of Pittsburgh's offense are no laughing matter. While the Titans still field a staunch defensive line even without free-agent defection Albert Haynesworth (Washington), Pittsburgh's rushing attack remains pathetic with a paltry 36 yards on 23 carries. Roethlisberger also continues to take a beating from holding on to the football too long or mistakes by his offensive line. He was sacked four times and took other hard hits on 43 pass attempts.
Without question, the Steelers would be doomed minus Roethlisberger. But the same dark clouds that would form if such misfortune ever struck are hanging over the Steelers until Polamalu returns — and Big Ben knows it.
"When he's not out there, we're not the same," Roethlisberger said.
Even if the Heinz Field scoreboard read otherwise Thursday night.
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