Oswlek
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2006
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The same thing happened with Polamalu a couple years ago
My opinion now is much as it was then. He's fantastic, but certainly not the unstoppable force that stops the Indy defense from coming unglued (if you'll excuse the mixed metaphor in this English lesson). Safeties are always around the ball, so it becomes one of those self-fulfiling prophecies ("holy cow he's in on the tackle again!).
To my untrained eye, he is as susceptible to play-action and pump-fakes as Polamalu is.
Despite throwing to Moss on approx 50% of second half throws, Sanders was rarely immediately involved in any of NE's pass plays earlier this year.
He is a great player who has been handed more credit than he deserves for Indy's defensive resurgence.
That said, I do think that he was the one who set the intensity level that all the others strive for.