Ed Reed can still get it done

The late, great George Carlin once urged his audiences to "pay attention to the language we've all agreed on." I couldn't concur more. For instance, the difference between being a "veteran" and just being "old". Ed Reed personifies that difference.

Old guys don't make plays on a constant basis like Reed does. Reed doesn't live in the end zone, but he does have a long-term lease there. Thanks to the pick six he recorded against Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, Reed has now scored at least one touchdown in eight of his 11 NFL seasons. He's hit double-digits in passes defensed in seven of his previous 10 seasons and looks well on his way to hitting that plateau again with a pair of swatted passes in Week 1.

Old guys can't fight through injuries the way Reed does. Tweaked hamstring be damned, the man from "The U" just keeps getting it done. Even at football's ripe old age of 34, he keeps proving that you just can't pick on him.

It's a quality that Baltimore Ravens fans (and football fans in general) have learned to admire. It's also one that Baltimore will rely on heavily with Terrell Suggs and his sack prowess out of the lineup for an indefinite period of time. By the way, Reed is good for the occasional sack and could pick up a few this season if defensive coordinator Dean Pees decides to blitz more from the secondary.

Eventually the day will come when Reed stops consistently making plays. Eventually he'll be a step too slow and those picks won't be there. Eventually he'll stop having his mail sent to the opposing end zone. When that day comes, we can start referring to Ed Reed as "old". Until then, respect this man as the seasoned veteran he is.


(nfl.com)