I know Troy Polamalu. Troy was my friend. Minkah, you’re no Troy Polamalu


Minkah and Troy

… and Keith Butler, you’re no Dick LeBeau

The reports were breathless: The Steelers defensive coordinator thinks that Minkah Fitzpatrick is another Troy Polamalu. 

The same day as I read a story like that in Sports Illustrated, I noticed the grades that were given to him in his first two weeks by Pro Football Focus [PFF]. 

So, as the breathless comparisons with Troy settled, I read the actual numbers from a service that evaluates the performance of every player on every play of the game. 
It was not impressive. 

Poor even against Buffalo

This review of the PFF evaluation from the first two weeks is illustrative of what Keith Butler may have been missing,

Lost in the excitement of the Steelers’ season-opening win at Buffalo was a pretty poor review for the All-Pro safety. His 38.5 grade for the afternoon was almost as bad as Ben Roethlisberger’s headline-grabbing mark.

On Sunday against Last Vegas, he was even worse. Scouts were particularly harsh on his work in coverage, giving him a 29.6 grade in that area. And that might have been kind. 

Officially, PFF observed that he was targeted three times, yielding three receptions for 47 yards. Unofficially, he shares responsibility with cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon for Henry Ruggs III’s 61-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that more or less put the game out of reach. That kind of catastrophic failure would be bad enough on its own. Instead, scouts see it as merely one chapter in an ugly overall start.

Just two safeties in the entire league currently have worse overall grades. With the defense navigating numerous injuries, Fitzpatrick simply has to be better — and soon.

Adam Bittner, “PFF Grades: Minkah Fitzpatrick is off to a dreadful 
start to 2021,” Post-Gazette, September 21, 2021

His ranking after three weeks is 28.6.

How is he close to Troy?

So, how far is Sports Illustrated willing to go to make the analogy of a Hall of Famer to an all-pro who has a PFF ranking of just over 28?

Well quite a ways, it seems,

During the previous week, against Buffalo, Fitzpatrick was all over the place. He lined up at free safety, nickel (where he played the most at Alabama) and dime.  

"Minkah is good enough to play anywhere we've got on the field," defensive coordinator Keith Butler said per AllSteelers." He knows the defense. We're gonna move him down in the box sometimes, sometimes we're gonna put him in the post-safety."

Able to move around more, Fitzpatrick led the Steelers with 10 tackles against the Bills. Pittsburgh hasn't seen that kind of production since Troy Polamalu was still running around with hair sticking out of his helmet. 

"You know, Troy is Hall of Fame, but if there's a player we can compare him to, I like Minkah," Haden said. "I've heard Troy isn't too much of a talker. You don't say too much, you let your ball say for itself. And, at the same time, always wanting to be the best.

"Minkah prepares as if he's not even on the team. That just shows that you've got your All-Pro safety; what are you not to be working hard.

Christopher Walsh, “The Extra Point: Is Minkah Fitzpatrick Becoming 
Another Troy Polamalu for Steelers?” SI, September 21, 2021

In fact, Keith Butler coached with NFL Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau, who was one of the best defensive coaching geniuses in NFL history. However, the Steelers defense this year does not resemble that of the LeBeau years. 

How do they continue this ludicrous comparison?

These guys can sometimes be replete with hyperbole. How much?

Players and coaches only rarely make comparisons to those in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
 
The Steelers have no trouble, though, doing so in this case, and with good reason. 

One example during the Bills game was on third-and-3 early in the fourth quarter. Josh Allen connected with Matt Breida for what could have been a dangerous short pass turned into a long gain if the speedy running back got into open field, but Fitzpatrick was on him in a flash to force fourth down.

"He read it," defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. "He was supposed to play the deep pass and came down and dad-gum made a play. Another Troy-like deal."

Yep, he said Troy-like.

"Troy did the same thing," Butler also told Steelers reporters. "He moved around a little bit. Most quarterbacks read the safeties in terms of dissecting defenses. As much as you can move him around, as much as you can play different positions with him, that’s gonna give them problems."

Adam Bittner, Post-Gazette, September 21, 2021

Yes, I knew Troy Polamalu. Minkah, you’re no Troy Polamalu. 
 


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