Harmon playing entire game rewards Belichick's approach with rookies
When we all last saw the New England Patriots try to patch together a secondary, coach Bill Belichick utilized free agent rookies and journeymen, along with duct tape and some measure of smoke and mirrors.
He had to. There was no accumulated depth on the roster, so when injuries decimated the secondary, Belichick had to get creative and get on the phone to get some of his contacts in for a tryout and a physical - and he had to do it on the fly.
And it worked, right up until the moment was biggest and the spotlight the brightest.
With the lead and just minutes remaining in Super Bowl XLVI, the smoke disappeared, the mirror shattered and the duct tape unraveled.
What Belichick had constructed in the most critical of times, what had helped his Patriots win eight consecutive games to close out the 2011 season - what had helped get them through wins over Denver and Baltimore in the playoffs - did what any other makeshift entity seems to do: it fails just when you need it most.
The loss in the Super Bowl still resonates through the Patriots' offices, and particularly in Belichick's war room, where decisions are made in the draft and in free agency - and the lesson learned from that season is that one can never have enough quality depth on the roster...
...and particularly in the secondary, where he had an unflattering history of draft busts which, coincidentally, led to the nightmarish jigsaw puzzle of the 2011 season. Undeterred, he followed up that campaign with a draft that he hoped would shore up the secondary, but he ended up having to wheel and deal to get that accomplished.
Once he did, however, the Patriots suddenly had the foundation for a secondary that now rivals any third level in the NFL - with the obvious "When healthy" caveat, which hasn't been too often lately, so it is fortunate that Belichick spent most of his draft picks in this past April's draft on the defense, where he selected two college teammates that have had a solid impact in this season of attrition.
Up until the past few games, former Rutgers University cornerback Logan Ryan and safety Duron Harmon had seen action in certain limited personnel groupings, spending most of their time getting coached up and watching the starters play, listening to them talk, soaking in all of the nuances of the professional game, so that when their number was called for real, they would be ready to contribute.
Numbers 26 and 30, respectively, were called on in the most dire of circumstances this past Sunday night against one of the greatest pure passers in the history of the NFL - and their impact has given the New England Patriots not just quality starter's snaps, but also tangible confidence that Belichick has moved past his draft-bust past and now has a seriously talented secondary.
And while Ryan was impressive at shutting down Denver's Eric Decker from the nickle corner spot, Harmon was even more so from his position as the last line of defense.
True, Harmon had some difficulty dealing with picks and he allowed three catches on four targets, but those three balls that found the mark did so with just centimeters to spare, his coverage was so tight. So good was Harmon that injured incumbent Steve Gregory may have a tough time getting his job back once he recovers from his broken thumb.
This year's third round draft choice was one of only five Patriots that played all 90 snaps in Gregory's stead, collecting a team-high seven solo tackles and eleven overall, giving credence to the notion that Harmon may be best suited as the team's "Big Nickle" safety instead...
...a much better option to cover tight ends than any linebacker on the roster, also bringing the wood in run support as his total tackles for the game suggests.
And while one game is a minuscule sample size from which to proceed, it nevertheless gives us that small sample of why Belichick was so intrigued with Harmon - who was labeled as a late round/priority free agent by draft experts, yet was selected by Belichick on the second day when he may have been available much later.
At the time of his selection, Dollar Bill justified the seemingly odd pick by stating that the Patriots weren't the only team who had Harmon graded out as significantly higher - and given the way that he's played this season, it appears that Belichick wasn't just feeding us a line.
He had to. There was no accumulated depth on the roster, so when injuries decimated the secondary, Belichick had to get creative and get on the phone to get some of his contacts in for a tryout and a physical - and he had to do it on the fly.
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| Harmon (30) played all 90 snaps against the Broncos |
And it worked, right up until the moment was biggest and the spotlight the brightest.
With the lead and just minutes remaining in Super Bowl XLVI, the smoke disappeared, the mirror shattered and the duct tape unraveled.
What Belichick had constructed in the most critical of times, what had helped his Patriots win eight consecutive games to close out the 2011 season - what had helped get them through wins over Denver and Baltimore in the playoffs - did what any other makeshift entity seems to do: it fails just when you need it most.
The loss in the Super Bowl still resonates through the Patriots' offices, and particularly in Belichick's war room, where decisions are made in the draft and in free agency - and the lesson learned from that season is that one can never have enough quality depth on the roster...
...and particularly in the secondary, where he had an unflattering history of draft busts which, coincidentally, led to the nightmarish jigsaw puzzle of the 2011 season. Undeterred, he followed up that campaign with a draft that he hoped would shore up the secondary, but he ended up having to wheel and deal to get that accomplished.
Once he did, however, the Patriots suddenly had the foundation for a secondary that now rivals any third level in the NFL - with the obvious "When healthy" caveat, which hasn't been too often lately, so it is fortunate that Belichick spent most of his draft picks in this past April's draft on the defense, where he selected two college teammates that have had a solid impact in this season of attrition.
Up until the past few games, former Rutgers University cornerback Logan Ryan and safety Duron Harmon had seen action in certain limited personnel groupings, spending most of their time getting coached up and watching the starters play, listening to them talk, soaking in all of the nuances of the professional game, so that when their number was called for real, they would be ready to contribute.
Numbers 26 and 30, respectively, were called on in the most dire of circumstances this past Sunday night against one of the greatest pure passers in the history of the NFL - and their impact has given the New England Patriots not just quality starter's snaps, but also tangible confidence that Belichick has moved past his draft-bust past and now has a seriously talented secondary.
And while Ryan was impressive at shutting down Denver's Eric Decker from the nickle corner spot, Harmon was even more so from his position as the last line of defense.
True, Harmon had some difficulty dealing with picks and he allowed three catches on four targets, but those three balls that found the mark did so with just centimeters to spare, his coverage was so tight. So good was Harmon that injured incumbent Steve Gregory may have a tough time getting his job back once he recovers from his broken thumb.
This year's third round draft choice was one of only five Patriots that played all 90 snaps in Gregory's stead, collecting a team-high seven solo tackles and eleven overall, giving credence to the notion that Harmon may be best suited as the team's "Big Nickle" safety instead...
...a much better option to cover tight ends than any linebacker on the roster, also bringing the wood in run support as his total tackles for the game suggests.
And while one game is a minuscule sample size from which to proceed, it nevertheless gives us that small sample of why Belichick was so intrigued with Harmon - who was labeled as a late round/priority free agent by draft experts, yet was selected by Belichick on the second day when he may have been available much later.
At the time of his selection, Dollar Bill justified the seemingly odd pick by stating that the Patriots weren't the only team who had Harmon graded out as significantly higher - and given the way that he's played this season, it appears that Belichick wasn't just feeding us a line.
