Over at Behind The Steel Curtain, Neal Coolong lists his offensive and defensive players to watch for Thursday night's game between the Steelers and Eagles.
↵Those lists include running back Baron Batch, who's playing his first pro game -- the 2011 seventh-round pick tore his ACL in training camp last year.
↵Another on Coolong's lists is safety Troy Polamalu:
↵↵↵During minicamp, there were some reports that Polamalu didn't look quite like the thoroughbred he usually does during the season, but at the same time, he doesn't usually attend minicamp, so we don't really have a basis of comparison. Training camp would shrink the waistline of even the most stubborn bodies, but it'll still be interesting to see Polamalu in motion.
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Polamalu's situation is always of great interest to Steelers fans, but his play might prove particularly crucial this year -- he's a game-changer when healthy, and as he heads further into his 30s (he turned 31 in April), even more will likely hinge on his health.
↵Cortez Allen also gets a mention, and for good reason, as the depth chart at cornerback, at least after Ike Taylor, is unclear, and Allen, a second-year player, is showing signs of coming into his own.