Grdnic: Polamalu reflects on calf injury, future & young DB's

PITTSBURGH -- Troy Polamalu has been viewed by some as being injury-prone, but until this season the Pittsburgh Steelers' strong safety played in 123 of 144 possible games with 2009 the only year when he missed double-digit games.

Polamalu played in all 16 games this past season and missed just two in 2010, but was limited to just 29 snaps in two games among the opening 11 this season. In his return last week at Baltimore, Polamalu played 49 of the 63 total plays for the Steelers defense (77.7 percent).

"I feel good, and God willing I'll be able to play again this week,'' Polamalu said Thursday before practice. "I don't know if I was on any (snap) count last week. I just think it was a better game plan going into the last game than it was going into Philly. And I was very happy to come out of it with a victory.

"It was better because I was limited, in a way, as far as my repetitions went and the game plan, as far as practice was concerned. (But) I don't know if we could have changed what happened in the Philly game. I don't like to deal in hypotheticals. I felt good enough to play, so I played.''

Polamalu was asked if his strained right calf worsened after playing against the Eagles, since he didn't make it through the first quarter. Polamalu answered negatively and added that a different muscle was injured in that game. He would not elaborate, saying that he already provided too much information.

"You could see that Troy was eased back into it last week,'' Steelers free safety Ryan Clark said. "He didn't do as much Troy stuff. You know, like jumping over the line, running from sideline to sideline and crashing into the backfield.''

Polamalu wasn't aware that those types of plays were termed "Troy stuff.''

"If that stuff comes, it comes,'' Polamalu said.

Polamalu appeared to be somewhat more reflective than he's been in recent years, and some believed that this would be his last NFL season. Others say that he likely won't want to go out after missing so many games.