Safeties are stars in Pittsburgh and Baltimore

Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens can relate. They have felt that way over the years when they’ve been without star safeties Troy Polamalu of Pittsburgh and Ed Reed of Baltimore.

Out of sight, out of mind?

Not if you’re Ben Roethlisberger or Joe Flacco. Those quarterbacks, whose teams square off in an AFC North grudge match Sunday night in Baltimore, don’t need to see Reed or Polamalu to know danger is lurking. Those passers understand those safeties could be coming from anywhere — and seem like they’re everywhere.

“You’ll see them both making plays not even close to what their responsibility probably was when they broke the huddle,” NBC’s Cris Collinsworth said of Reed and Polamalu.

“As a quarterback, you really can’t factor in where they’re going to be. You almost have to watch them the entire play in order to have one not go back the other way on you.”

So one of the most intriguing matchups of this game will be between players who won’t be hitting each other, and won’t be on the field at the same time.

The Steelers might be encouraged that they have Roethlisberger back for this game, because they didn’t have him when they lost to the Ravens earlier this season in Pittsburgh. But the Ravens didn’t have Reed for that game either.

“Did you see how they play when they don’t have their safety [Polamalu]?” Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs said last week, according to the Baltimore Sun. “It’s two different teams, isn’t it? It’s kind of the same way with us.

“It’s always good to have your All-Pro safety with you, a guy that can cover both sides of the field. He’s making plays even when he’s not supposed to be somewhere.”

Suggs then made a bit of a misstep, quoting the Visa motto, but got his point across about Reed:

“He’s like American Express. He’s everywhere you want to be.”