Who would you take Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu? Pick your poison

Dave Pruitt, Sports Emerge
http://sportsemerge.com/

One guy in “Black & Yellow” and another in “Black & Purple”, both representing their colors with tenacity, on field leadership & game changing plays that has stirred up a great debate.  Who would you take, Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens or Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers?
I take pride in covering this topic because I’d like to think I was a pretty good Safety in highschool as well.  However, I couldn’t come close to achieving what these heralded rivals have over the past decade.
Ed Reed & Troy Polamalu may have similarities & are both great at their positions but if you were to ask their peers who is the best between them, you’d get silence as displayed on NFL Networks “Top 100 NFL Players of 2011.”   A confused dumbfounded look across the face of many players, not knowing who they would pick.
Ed Reed described by T.O., ” He’s like offense on defense, this guy has to be accounted for.”
He is like a wide receiver that the quarterback doesn’t want to throw to.  With 54 career interceptions Reed is a definite threat looming in the backfield, baiting QBs to throw in his direction.  Ed Reed recently interviewed by Ed Werder at ESPN revealed that he has lightened up on hitting opposing players as hard as he used to when he entered te league out of the U (University of Miami, for those who don’t know.)
Reed becomes a returner everytime he gets the ball looking to score 6 often with laterals to his teammates.  The way he can see the field is uncanny.
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Troy Polamalu, known for his abundance of long curly Polynesian hair & respected for his thrashing hard hits.  All you see is hair flying in your direction then you’re picking yourself up off the field.  I can’t imagine what it feels like, Polamalu delivers hits that make the viewer say, “DAMN!”
They play in the same Division, in a rivalry that some think has become the biggest in sports recently with the Ravens & Steelers meeting 8 times in the last 3 years.  Everytime they meet the fans leave the game astonished at the intensity of the battle they just witnessed.  Reed & Polamalu on normal occasion are at the helm of intense plays during the battle.
We now know that they are similar in how they perform on the field, but who is better at their craft?  Ed Reed drafted in 2002 & Troy Polamalu drafted in 2003, they are just seperated by a year of performance.
Reed has 54 interceptions in 128 games over his career with 8 of them coming last year in only 10 games due to injury.  Polamalu has never had 8 interceptions in 1 season & has only half the total of Reed with 27 interceptions in 107 games.  Reed has been to 7 Pro Bowls & Polamalu one shy with 6.  Reed was voted Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 & Polamalu received the same honor in 2010.
Warren Sapp of NFL Network argued admirably for Reed, he said, “You want your Safety to have his hands on the ball.  My man has twice the interceptions as your guy, (speaking to Ed Baldinger of NFL Network picking Polamalu) 3 times as many touchdowns, scoring after he gets his hands on it.”  Expressively he continued,”two more forced fumbles & 6 more fumble recoveries!”
Ed Boldinger responded fiercely, “It’s all about numbers for you?”  He continued, “your arguement is all about numbers, you can’t compare Safeties strictly on numbers.”  Boldinger highlighted the recent playoff games that the Steelers & Ravens had & the fact that Troy Polamalu was the game changer in both keeping the Ravens out of the Superbowl in the 2008 season with a big interception thrown by Joe Flacco & again in the 2010 season forcing Flacco to fumble.
Ed Boldinger reffered to his game changing ability as “the Polamalu effect” as he should because I witnessed both of those AFC Championship games & Polamalu was an absolute beast.  The numbers that Polamalu puts up may not compare closely to Ed Reed’s but he is beating Reed in the only category that truly matters & that’s Superbowl rings.  Regardless if Ed Reed was voted 88th out of the NFL Networks “Top 100 of All-Time” & Polamalu didn’t make the cut; Reed is missing the 2 rings Polamalu has in his possession.
Reed’s “partner in crime” who is feared by many on the gridiron, Ray Lewis is the only active Raven with a Superbowl ring & Reed’s chance has been stopped twice by the Head N’ Shoulders Safety of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers are 39-14 with Polamalu on the field & 9-9 without him present, he is a game changer.  Ed Reed probably the most feared by QBs because of is ability to snatch the ball from the QBs original target.  QBs fear Polamalu because of his ability to fly over the lineman & sack them with 8 sacks in his career.
The debate could go on & on, Polamalu’s teammate Hines Ward said, “Between those guys, I haven’t seen better Safeties around.”
If you were to ask Ed Reed I’m sure he would say he’s the best & the more humble Polamalu said, “I’m not concerned, I can care less.”
I can’t say who is best, I’ll just say they play different positions, Ed Reed is a Free Safety & Troy Polamalu is a Strong Safety so they are each the best at their respective positions.  I’ll leave it at that…
It is what it is…