Super Bowl 2011: Troy Polamalu vs. Charles Woodson, Who's Better?

An elite defensive back in the NFL is a beautiful thing to have. Luckily for both teams featured in the Super Bowl, they both have one. Charles Woodson is one of the best cornerbacks in the National Football league. Troy Polamalu is one of the best safeties in the game. That being said, who is the best defensive back on the field?

Charles Woodson is a true lock-down cornerback. The Green Bay secondary as a whole may be the best in the NFL, but there is no question who the centerpiece of the secondary is. Woodson played well enough to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2009.

He is a former Heisman trophy winner and at 34 years old, he may have just put away one of his best seasons of his career. Woodson saw a heavy decline on the stat sheet, but a huge part of that is due to the success he saw the year before. Teams are afraid to throw the ball at him, which is the biggest complement a cornerback can receive.

Having a cornerback who can eliminate half of the field is a rare and coveted commodity. Woodsons' success has led to the rise of corner Tramon Williams. Teams ignore Woodson for the most part, which has allowed Williams to see a surplus of action.

Everyone on Green Bay's defense is better because of Charles Woodson. The Packers can be more creative in the Dom Capers defense. Clay Matthews is able to get to the quarterback more effectively, because the primary target is bottled up and the rest of the secondary sees an influx of force passes coming their way.

On the other sideline is the most versatile player in the NFL. If this were chess, Troy Polamalu would be Dick LeBeau's queen. Polamalu can play centerfield safety and come up to the line of scrimmage like a linebacker.

He is a force in coverage and a terror in the backfield. Nobody makes plays sideline to sideline like Polamalu. He is one of the smartest and most dynamic players in the game today. At the safety position, he has been instrumental in helping the Steelers become the best run defense in the NFL while not allowing them to be bullied in the pass game.

His seven interceptions this season speak to his ability to find the football. He has earned the name Tazmanian Devil, and rightfully so. "Seek and destroy" is a creed the Steelers live by and there is no better example of that than Troy Polamalu.

So at the end of the day, who has the edge? Polamalu is more valuable to his team. He is somewhat injury prone, so we have seen the collapse that happens when Polamalu is not on the field. He brings so much to every aspect of the defense that his loss leaves the Steelers vulnerable everywhere.

Both guys are Hall of Famers. That being said, I give the slight edge to Polamalu. I'm not taking anything away from Charles Woodson, as he is the complete football player and one of the best corners of his generation. That being said, the Steelers call upon Polamalu to do more.

Without Woodson, the Packers would see their pass defense suffer a huge set back, but it might not be enough to alter the outcome of the game. With no Troy Polamalu, the Steelers almost certainly lose the game. Polamalu is the better of the two simply because he is the pulse for the Steelers defense and they would be completely lost without him.