James Harrison not slowing down as Steelers approach playoffs
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� James Harrison isn无毛视频檛 showing any signs of slowing down, even as a 38 year-old in the latter stretch of his 14th NFL season.
As seen in Sunday night无毛视频檚 win over the Ravens, Harrison无毛视频檚 age is really just a number at this point. With a playoff berth on the line, the veteran OLB led the Steelers with 11 tackles, nine of which were solo.
Harrison无毛视频檚 play of late has his teammates questioning if he will actually hang up the spikes any time soon. Just 12 hours after playing 74 of 75 total defensive snaps against the Ravens, Harrison was at the UPMC Rooney 无毛视频 Complex doing static belt squats.
无毛视频淲ith how he无毛视频檚 playing now, we don无毛视频檛 even know if he无毛视频檚 going to retire next year or not,无毛视频� Bud Dupree said. 无毛视频淭he way he works and the way he carries himself with the things he does, he probably could play another three years if he really wanted to.无毛视频�
Harrison ranks sixth on the team with 53 tackles, albeit he was only averaging roughly 50 percent of the defensive snaps for the first half of the season while in a four-man rotation. That could have been a blessing in disguise. OLB coach Joey Porter did a good job of limiting Harrison无毛视频檚 workload in September and October in order to get the best of him in November and December. He无毛视频檚 first on the team with five sacks, and tied for second with two forced fumbles.
Harrison无毛视频檚 20 tackles in the last two games is tied for the most he无毛视频檚 ever had over a two-game span, with the previous mark coming in 2008.
While playing alongside Dupree, Harrison has helped the 2015 first-round pick无毛视频檚 development. Dupree has 17 tackles and 3.5 sacks in five games since his return from injured reserve as a key piece in the Steelers无毛视频� front seven. Often, he无毛视频檚 communicating with Harrison in between plays in regards to what无毛视频檚 going on at the line of scrimmage.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檒l ask each other what we无毛视频檙e getting since we rush on both sides,无毛视频� Dupree said. 无毛视频淎nd just other things, like the run plays. It无毛视频檚 always good to know what he saw and what I saw, and communicate it to each other.
无毛视频淗e knows a lot more than I do. Just simple stuff. He can be looking at the line of scrimmage and already see that it无毛视频檚 a run, where I无毛视频檓 focused on just getting off the ball and beating my man. He slows it down. He sees the game a lot slower than me.无毛视频�
In a defense with five starters age 23 or younger, three of which are rookies, Harrison无毛视频檚 veteran presence during the Steelers无毛视频� upcoming playoff run can无毛视频檛 be taken for granted.
无毛视频淗e keeps us grinding,无毛视频� Dupree said. 无毛视频淪ometimes we无毛视频檒l be too hype or overexcited, and he无毛视频檒l come out and say things like, 无毛视频榃e don无毛视频檛 need no pep rally.无毛视频� He keeps us grounded and on the right track.无毛视频�