"Troy Polamalu ought to be easy to find on the football field, his distinctive mane flowing out of the back of his helmet. Yet the Pittsburgh safety keeps eluding offenses and confounding opposing quarterbacks, as he did to the Bengals and Carson Palmer Sunday in the Steelers' 23-7 victory at Heinz Field. Polamalu had two interceptions against his former college roommate at Southern California, including a 45-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter that erased Cincinnati's 7-0 lead and flipped the momentum of the game. It was the second week in a row that Polamalu made a game-changing play for the Steelers, who are now 10-3 and in first place in the AFC North. "We know what Troy brings to the table; there is no other safety in the league playing better than Troy," said Pittsburgh wide receiver Hines Ward. "I guess you guys (media) want to justify it by us saying it but we know what he brings to the table and we know what he means to our team. He's the best safety in the league." The Steelers are now 21-3 when Polamalu intercepts a pass. The effect of Polamalu's big plays spread throughout the team. On Pittsburgh's first three possessions of the game, the Steelers ran 18 plays, gained 74 yards, picking up four first downs and punting three times. On the four drives following Polamalu's touchdown the Steelers' offense produced 224 yards net (it lost 40 yards in penalties) and three field goals while running 45 plays and consuming 22 minutes and four seconds of the clock." Read more: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101212/SPT02/312120050
