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Facing Steelers legend Troy Polamalu was always a bloodbath for All-Pro RB

The Pittsburgh Steelers bring the physicality and aggression that has spanned generations. It started with Joe Greene and the Steel Curtain in the 1970s, Greg Lloyd in the 1990s, and then Troy Polamalu and James Harrison in the 21st century. Opponents knew they were in for a fight when they faced Pittsburgh, and many retired players have echoed that sentiment when they recall games with the Black and Gold.

Opponents who saw the most physicality from the Steelers were their rivals in the AFC North, but everyone in the NFL should have been worried going into a matchup against Pittsburgh. All-Pro running back Chris Johnson, who played most notably for the Tennessee Titans, was asked by Kay Adams about the Up & Adams show against which players he knew he would have to hold out for four quarters.

“Not just one player, but every time we played Pittsburgh, we knew it was going to be a bloodbath, a fight. You have to come in with your chin strap tight and your mouthpiece in, especially when you’re playing against Troy Polamalu. That was a great time for me and it was always a great fight between the two of us, I love it, I miss those days.”

Johnson and Polamalu were both in the prime of their careers around the same time in the late 2010s. Johnson had rushed for 2,000 yards and Polamalu was consistently named an All-Pro, even winning the NFL’s AP Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2010. The two were headliners at their position groups throughout the NFL and had some great matchups.

Johnson faced the Steelers eight times in his career, and seven of those eight games came while Polamalu was with Pittsburgh. The safety was only active for five of the matchups between the two All-Pros. Polamalu and the rest of the Steelers defense were mostly able to contain Johnson. He never managed to surpass 100 yards and was never much of a factor in the receiving game.

In his five games against the Steelers in which Polamalu played, Johnson averaged 17.2 carries for 56.2 yards on the ground, and scored just two touchdowns in all matchups combined. He was arguably the league’s best running back at the time, aside from Adrian Peterson, but he couldn’t find any momentum against Pittsburgh.

Polamalu and the Steelers led the series against the Titans during that span, although it was close. Polamalu won three of the five matchups he played against Johnson and Tennessee. Polamalu is already a Hall of Famer, while Johnson is part of Tennessee’s great line of running backs.

The Steelers’ Terrible Towel Once Took Revenge on Johnson’s Titans

Tennessee infamously disrespected the Terrible Towel by stomping and stamping on it after beating the Steelers in the 2008 season, which was the first matchup between Polamalu and Johnson. They did this after beating Pittsburgh 31-14 in Week 16, which earned them the top seed in the AFC for the postseason. The curse of the Terrible Towel hit the Titans hard, as they lost their Week 17 matchup and their first playoff game after earning a first-round bye.

The curse didn’t end there. It continued into the 2009 season. Pittsburgh defeated Tennessee in Week 1, and the Titans started the year with an 0-6 record – entering their bye week without having won a game since throwing in the towel. The losing streak ended at eight games, with a brutal finale when they lost 59-0 to the New England Patriots.

To make matters worse for Tennessee, the Steelers represented the AFC in the Super Bowl during the 2008 season. This was just seven weeks after the Titans’ antics, and Pittsburgh won their sixth Lombardi Trophy.