Bill Cowher is perhaps more qualified than anyone when it comes to ranking Pittsburgh Steelers. Cowher, a Hall of Fame former Steelers coach and current CBS Sports NFL analyst, was tasked with ranking the top five defensive players in Steelers history Sunday on The NFL Today.
Cowher admitted that it was tough task, and it’s easy to see why. The Steelers have had a host of all-time great defenders, including several whom Cowher himself coached. Here’s a look at Cowher’s rankings, what he said about each pick and a few other tidbits about each player.
5. S Troy Polamalu (2003-14)
Cowher’s take: “This guy created havoc. I’ve never seen a guy make more plays and do more things that can disrupt an offense.”
It’s somewhat surprising that Polamalu is this “low” on the list. But Polamalu did make the list, after all, over several other deserving players that include Hall of Fame linebackers Jack Ham and Jack Lambert. As Cowher alluded to, Polamalu was a unique player who made a mess of many offensive game plans. Polamalu’s signature play was his pick-six that clinched Pittsburgh’s 2008 AFC title game win over Baltimore.
4. OLB T.J. Watt (2017-present)
Cowher’s take: “This guy’s on an all-time pace. … He’s led the league in sacks three out of the last four years.”
Watt is certainly on a record-breaking pace. He’s 1.5 sacks away from becoming the third player in league history to reach 100 career sacks before turning 30. And like Polamalu, Watt has a NFL Defensive Player of the Year award to his credit.
3. CB Mel Blount (1970-83)
Cowher’s take: “He’s a four-time Super Bowl winner. Changed the game as a cornerback.”
Cowher is spot-on regarding Blount’s place in NFL history. A physically-imposing defensive back, the NFL enforced rules restricting a defensive back’s contact with a receiver with Blount in mind. Despite the rule change, Blount and the Steelers continued to…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/bill-cowher-ranks-his-top-5-steelers-defensive-players-of-all-time-where-t-j-watt-lands-on-the-list/
Author : Bryan DeArdo
Publish date : 2024-09-22 17:31:09
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
