Troy Polamalu or Ed Reed, Who's the Better NFL Defensive Back?

It is an argument that Steelers and Ravens fans will have until the end of their careers.

Who is better, Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers or Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens?

Though I believe Reed is truly an amazing player and has changed the way the safety position is played, the exact same thing can be said for Polamalu.

After reading an article by Jeffrey Schmidt, where he points out all of the stronger suits of Reed, I believe that after looking at all of the things Mr. Schmidt left out, the conclusion—at least in my opinion—is different.

Here is a comparison of probably two of the best safeties who have ever played the game, Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed.

Turnovers

There is little to even compare in this aspect of the games of Polamalu and Reed.

Reed is simply the best, possibly ever to play the game, at getting turnovers.

Reed currently has 54 Interceptions against Polamalu's 27, and Reed also has 1,438 return yards as opposed to Polamalu's 328.

In forced fumbles/fumble recoveries, Reed also has the lead with 10:7, compared to 8:4 for Polamalu.

Advantage: Ed Reed

Size, Power and Speed

In the tale of the tape for these two men, there is not much of a competition:

Player	Height	Weight	40-Time
Troy Polamalu	5'10"	207	4.33
Ed Reed	5'11"	200	4.57

I think Schmidt's explanation is accurate where he says Polamalu's speed (4.33) is better than that of Reed (4.57).

Also stated is that Polamalu is better at blitzing, while playing a linebacker position. He can start in the box and still cover the deep third of the field.

If Reed is in the box, he is going after the quarterback.

Advantage: Troy Polamalu

Tackles/Sacks

If you simply look at the turnovers, there is no question Polamalu cannot compare to Reed. 

However, defense is MUCH more than simply turning over the ball.

If you look at the other areas of defense, Polamalu has a lot better chance.

Tackles

Polamalu: 516

Reed: 496

Sacks

Polamalu: 8

Reed: 5

Not only does Polamalu lead Reed in both of those categories, but he has done so playing in 21 fewer games than Reed.

Advantage: Troy Polamalu

Awards

When it comes to awards, there are not a whole lot of players who have the hardware Polamalu and Reed have:

Pro Bowls

Polamalu: 6

Reed: 7

All-Pro

Polamalu: 4

Reed: 5

Reed leads Polamalu in both All-Pro and Pro Bowls by one nomination, but Reed has also played in the NFL one year longer than Polamalu.

When it comes to the Pro Bowl, each player missed one year at the beginning of their careers, and one year during their careers in which they were injured.

Defensive Player of the Year

Polamalu: 1 (2010)

Reed: 1 (2004)

2000s All-Decade Team

Polamalu: Yes

Reed: Yes

Super Bowl Record

Polamalu: 2-1

Reed: 0-0

Another interesting point is that there have only been two defenders in the history of EA Sports Madden who have graced the cover; one is from the Ravens, the other from the Steelers.

Troy Polamalu was on the cover for the Steelers, while Ray Lewis—not Ed Reed— was for the Ravens.

Advantage: Troy Polamalu

And the Winner Is...

Though it is clear Ed Reed may go down in history as the best ball-hawk to ever play the game, that is FAR from the only thing a defensive back has to do to be successful.

In every other important category, Troy Polamalu is far and away better than Ed Reed. In more than a season of fewer games, Polamalu leads Reed in every single statistic that counts (other than turnovers).

Add to that his appearance on the cover of Madden Football and the three Super Bowls he has played in, and Polamalu seals the victory.

I do agree with Schmidt that both Polamalu and Reed are surefire, first-ballot Hall of Famers and the measuring stick for every player to play their positions for years to come.

But when it all comes down to it, Polamalu is the more complete player.

Winner: Troy Polamalu