"Troy Polamalu's voice never rose above its trademark whisper, but his eyes sure lit up at the meaning.

When the Steelers' safety heard Santonio Holmes had called him "probably the greatest player I've ever played with or even seen play in person," Polamalu took it as an early mental victory going into Sunday's AFC title game with the Jets.

"If he's not thinking right calling me that, then that's good for [the Steelers] this week," Polamalu said of his former teammate.

It bodes even better for the Steelers that Polamalu actually is playing this time. The relentless All-Pro does so much for Pittsburgh's defense that his injury absence when these teams met last month appeared to be a big reason for the Jets' 22-17 upset win at Heinz Field. In the past two seasons, the Steelers are 16-4 when he plays and 6-7 without him."