The differences between Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu run the gamut — from their playing style, their backgrounds and even their hair.
But the one thing that nearly everyone can agree on is that Reed, a seven-time Pro Bowler for the Ravens, and Polamalu, a six-time Pro Bowl representative for the Pittsburgh Steelers, share an uncanny ability to impact the outcome of a game.
"There are defensive players who are capable of taking over a football game, and I think that puts them in a unique category," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said of Reed and Polamalu during a conference call with Baltimore media Tuesday afternoon. "To me, that's where the similarities begin and end. One guy's a free safety, another guy's a strong safety. So they're really different animals from that standpoint and in the things that they're asked to do. Their job requirements are different, but they are both defensive players who are capable of taking over a football game, and there's not many of those guys around."
Added Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis: "I don't know if there's that much of a difference. I think they both play the game with great instincts, they both prepare incredibly, and I just think that they love the game. Those are the two … safeties that actually turn the game into an offensive possession when they do have the ball in their hands. And I think that's what makes both of those guys who they are — Ed and Troy."
Arguably the best current players at their respective positions, Reed and Polamalu have continued to enhance their Hall of Fame-bound careers with their performances this season despite being saddled with injury and personal issues.
Reed helped the Ravens skip past the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's AFC wild-card playoff round despite sore ribs and the disappearance of his younger brother. Polamalu is dealing with an Achilles' injury that kept him out of practice Wednesday, but is not expected to prevent him from playing in Saturday's divisional round.
Reed led the NFL with eight interceptions in the regular season despite missing the first six weeks because of hip surgery in the offseason. Polamalu paced the Steelers with a career-best-tying seven interceptions, and the team is 22-3 when Polamalu makes an interception.
Their knack for creating turnovers is a shared quality, according to Ravens coach John Harbaugh.
"These are two guys that just have a great ability to catch the football, and that gives them a chance to make plays on the ball downfield," he said. "They make great catches, so they get turnovers. They're both hitters, they both are very instinctive, they both know the game inside-and-out — all those things that everybody talks about."
By virtue of their positions, Reed and Polamalu are tasked with different responsibilities for their respective teams.
Reed is the ball hawk, patrolling the defensive backfield and forcing opposing quarterbacks to look for other receiving options. Those that are either brave or foolish enough to test Reed, who leads the NFL in interceptions (54) since he entered the league in 2002, soon learn the error of their ways.
"You've just got know where he is at," Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "You've got to find out if he's coming down for the run game, you've got to find out if he's back in the middle of the field, what side he's shaded to, who he is helping on."
Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward has hit Reed with a few blocks bordering on the edge of legality, but Ward accepted a request to recently introduce Reed on the NFL's list of the 100 greatest players.
"He's a game-changer, same thing with Troy," Ward said of Reed to ESPN.com. "When you're playing good and you're a great player, great things just happen when you're around. [Reed] will pick up a fumble and take it to the house. A tipped pass, he will take it to the house or somebody will pitch it to him and he will take it to the house. … Those guys just have a key knack for making plays when they need it the most, and he's right up there with Troy."
Polamalu is the jack-of-all-trades, a cover guy big and fast enough to cover tight ends who also can help stop the run or blitz the quarterback.
"I think there are certain plays where you're looking to know exactly where he is so that you can go away from him and do certain things," Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said of Polamalu. "All the other plays, you really just have to know where he is, know how to protect against him when he's bringing pressure or he's defending a route. He's so good at reacting to certain things, playing tendencies, and taking chances on things because he knows the upfront guys are going to get some sort of pressure. So you have to have your eye on him, and I think as long as you do, you can keep control. But — I was just telling somebody else — you have to play sound football so that you can take away his chances of making plays because if you give him enough chances to make a big play, more times than not, he's going to make it. So the big thing in this game is just playing sound football and limiting his chances."
Tight end Todd Heap said contrary to conventional wisdom, Polamalu has the freedom to break from an assignment to disrupt a play.
"When you see Polamalu out there, he'll come out of coverage sometimes just to make a play — something that he feels, something that he sees," Heap said. "You think sometimes, all of that is undisciplined, but most of the time he's right."
Reed and Polamalu won't match wits or exchange blows when their respective teams meet on Heinz Field this Saturday, but they will likely have a say in the final score.
Lewis, who will have a ringside seat, said he is eager to see how the game unfolds around Reed and Polamalu.
"It's an honor watching both of them play," Lewis said. "It's not good watching him [Polamalu] play against us, but it's a real honor to sit back and watch two of probably the best safeties to ever play this game go at it."