original: Paula Lively
derivative: Diddykong1130, Troy Polamalu 2013, CC BY 2.0
Note: Updated for Troy Polamalu’s 2020 Hall of Fame selection.
Since the original Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens in 1996, the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North has become one of the fiercest divisional rivalries in the NFL. While individual players have come and gone, the themes of this intense rivalry have remained essentially the same since inception – power running games and hard-hitting defenses. Perhaps no two players better embodied this rivalry than All-Pro safeties Troy Polamalu of the Steelers and Ed Reed of the Ravens. Both were linchpins of their respective defenses for a decade and achieved the heights of personal and team success (Pro Bowl, All-Pro, Defensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl) – given how closely their careers overlapped and how often they played against each other, this leads to inevitable comparisons and the overarching question:
Who was better – Troy Polamalu or Ed Reed?
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