The 32 best defenders in the NFL

2005 he played a full season (yes, he missed the last two games, but he could've played, the Colts were just taking precautions to keep their players healthy for the playoffs), and in 2004, he was hurt coming in, and the Colts knew it. Once he started playing in 2004, he didn't miss a game due to injury.

Those numbers don't tell the story for Bob. These numbers do:

Points Allowed Per Game in 2004: 21.9 (18th in NFL)
Points Allowed Per Game in 2005: 15.4 (2nd in NFL) <-- First year Bob was a full time starter

Points Allowed Per Game in 2006 Regular Season: 22.5
Points Allowed Per Game in 2006 Postseason: 16.2
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game in 2006 Regular Season: 173.0
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game in 2006 Postseason: 82.8

The bolded and seperated ones reflect the stats in which the only difference between the two units was Bob Sanders. He definitely had a big impact on the first set of stats as well though.

I'm not saying Polamalu isn't a great safety, just that he's not as good as Bob. It's like saying Charlie Waters isn't as good as Jack Tatum. They're both still great players.

Maybe if those offenses didn't stay mediocre with him at the helm until he had a HOF RB behind him, you'd have something there. Unfortunately for you, they did, so the comparison doesn't work.

 

I still don't think he has the body of work over enough of a period of time to be called a top 5 NFL safety. Does he have the potential? Sure.

Again, I can't buy the argument of how Sanders helped the Colts any more the TP helped the Steelers, because you don't know what the Steelers were missing because he was never missed.

 

If you don't think he's a top 5 safety now, please name 5 better safeties.

Well, let's look at the impact Troy Polamalu had in his first year as a starter:

2002 Points Allowed Per Game for the Steelers: 21.6 (17th)
2003 Points Allowed Per Game for the Steelers: 20.4 (14th)

Granted, Troy sucked in his first year as a starter, and his defense was vastly improved the next year (allowing 15.7 points per game - still more than the Colts allowed in 2005), but if you're going to count Bob's injury (he's only had one as an NFL player) against him, you have to count Troy's early suckage against him. Troy may have better individual numbers than Bob, but that's because he's basically allowed to freelance in his scheme. I doubt Troy could possibly improve any aspect of the Steelers' defense the way Bob improved the Colts' rushing and scoring defense in the postseason though. Really Troy and Bob should be playing in the same backfield. Damn you Bill Cowher!

 

Look for Roman Harper to be in the upper 1/3 in a year or two.

 

RF365 is a joke, and there is no way this list should be taken seriously.

 

DeAngelo Hall at #6?! What a joke......

 

lol @ Dam..." Please love Bob Sanders, pleaseeeeeeeeeeee"....:WORD01: