They love the signature hair flying out from his helmet. They love the highlight hits that make the fools on some four-letter network swoon and yell "jacked up."

They love his name. They love his game.

Troy Polamalu is an NFL darling.

He's also the league's most-overrated player.

There, I said it.

He was selected as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 -- an award I couldn't figure out -- and then disappeared in the playoffs, even getting trucked by Ray Rice of the Ravens in the playoffs.

He was a spinning top in the Super Bowl, trying to cover Packers receivers and instead watched them rip off big gains and two touchdowns on his watch.

The Packers exposed the reason I think Polamalu is overrated. He isn't great in coverage and the NFL is now a cover game.

He's a good player. He's just not great.

I've always believed he was a gambler in the back end, and good teams and smart quarterbacks could take advantage of his aggressive style, which the Packers and Aaron Rodgers did. He gets away with it against bad quarterbacks, but good ones can use his aggressive style to their advantage (See Tom Brady).

They say Polamalu had a groin issue in the playoffs, but if you're on the field, you're healthy enough to take the heat. And haven't injuries been an issue for him the past five seasons? He has played 16 games only once in five years.

That has to mean something in the rating game, doesn't it?

He's good. I just don't think he's great. That makes him overrated. I bet even some Steelers fans would concur after the playoffs.

So who's the league's most underrated?

The honor goes to a former undrafted player cut by his first team named Tramon Williams. He was the best cover player for the Super Bowl champs last year, even though most would assume it was Charles Woodson.

Talk to scouts, personnel people and even members of the Packers coaching staff and they'll all say that it's Williams who is now the better cover player. Woodson is still a ball-hawking playmaker, but he isn't the cover corner Williams is at this point in his career.

Yet Williams didn't go to the Pro Bowl.

Williams isn't mentioned on many lists as one of the top 10 corners in the game.

Williams gets slighted more than he gets beat.

That makes him the NFL's most underrated player.

Coverage is key now. That's why Williams is underrated and why Polamalu is overrated.



Green Bay Packers

Overrated: S Nick Collins. He is a good tackler, but he has trouble in coverage at times. There's no way he should have been All-Pro last season.

Underrated: Tramon Williams. (see above) Want to bet he goes to the Pro Bowl in 2012? He's a great story in perseverance, going from undrafted player, being cut by Houston, then to nickel corner and then to top starter.

Wow, this guy's pretty brilliant. He compares safeties to CB's based solely on their coverage skills. And yes, Polamalu was playing hurt in the playoffs and it did affect his performance. Apparently this moron didn't start watching football until January 2011.

Originally Posted by: Greg C. 

Whatever. Polamulu will make the Hall of Fame. I'm sure he laughs off the disses.

Guess what? You can beat anyone. We game planned to exploit him. Instead of insulting Troy, how about giving Mike McCarthy credit instead.

Originally Posted by: zombieslayer 

I actually think most of his statements were spot on.

He is correct in assessing Polamalu's coverage issues and it is a coverage game. Polamalu is a throwback. He's that in the box safety of the 80s and 90s. In today's league, offenses spread the field and exploit that player.

Now, I don’t think he’s just good. He’s a great player, but last year was not one of his better seasons. I personally don’t think he deserved the defensive player of the year award. So by that standard, he’s overrated.

Originally Posted by: porky88 

I've been watching Polamalu for years and in most games the guy is all over the field making plays. I've never heard anyone criticize him for a lack of cover skills. Then on one play in the Super Bowl he has to defend half of the end zone one-on-one against Greg Jennings while playing with an injury and now he has bad coverage skills. I know you are basing your opinion on more than that, but that seems to be the play most people have in mind.

I also don't buy your statement that Polamalu's style of play is outdated. If he's so easy to exploit, why did the Steelers have the #1 defense in the league, with Polamalu as their main playmaker? He can rush the passer, put big hits on receivers, and intercept passes, sometimes far downfield. He's a hybrid type of player, sort of like Charles Woodson, but in a slightly different way.

This revisionist history stuff goes way too far sometimes.

Originally Posted by: Greg C.