Last week, CBS.Sportsline.com's Pete Prisco made a list of the Top 50 players in the NFL. Much to my surprise (although it shouldn't have been, given what I already felt about Prisco's analysis), there were no Steelers on the list!
Prisco starts out with Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, LT, Champ Bailey, and Carson Palmer in the top 5. Not sure I'd put Champ in there, but whatever, no real beef. As I pass by Jammal Brown (OT Saints) and Shawn Andrews (G Philadelphia), Steve Hutchison (G Minnesota), I'm beginning to wonder where Faneca is on the list. Nowhere.
Neither is Troy Polamalu, who apparently isn't as good as Bob Sanders of Indianapolis, Kerry Rhodes of NYJ, or Sean Taylor of the 'Skins. Hmm. Casey Hampton, the absolute premiere run defender in the NFL (check back at Pittsburgh's stats against the run since he arrived in Pittsburgh as evidence) is also missing in favor of Jamal Williams of San Diego and Marcus Stroud of Jacksonville. Considering some of the WRs on the list, an argument could most certainly be made for Hines Ward as well.
What a short memory Prisco has. Has there ever been a team just one year removed from a Super Bowl that didn't have even one top 50 player on its roster? That's an unaswerable question, but I just don't understand how you can forget about a roster filled with elite players just because they had one disappointing season.