‘Just end the game’: Damien Harris on the Patriots’ mentality during the final drive vs. Steelers
Also: Steelers linebacker Malik Reed credited "smart guy" Mac Jones for making important adjustments.
The Patriots managed to escape Pittsburgh with a 17-14 win over the Steelers on Sunday. New England moves to 1-1 on the season.
The Red Sox also won on Sunday, with Rafael Devers’s four hits leading the way in a 13-3 rout of the Royals.
Elsewhere, the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun 78-71 to win the WNBA Championship.
Damien Harris and the Patriots’ endgame: Holding a three-point lead late in the fourth quarter, the Patriots offense took over for what proved to be the final drive of the game with 6:33 remaining.
Given that the team’s two previous drives ended with punts, it was far from certain that New England would be able to move the ball, let alone see out the remaining time on the clock.
Yet that’s exactly what the Patriots offense did, showing an impressive run-blocking capacity. After six plays, almost four minutes of clock time had been chewed up.
It was then that running back Damien Harris was subbed in for teammate Rhamondre Stevenson.
Asked afterward what was going through his mind when the Steelers crowd tried to will the Pittsburgh defense into making a last-ditch stop following the two-minute warning, Harris offered a simple response.
“End the game,” he said. “That’s it. Just end the game.”
By sheer force, both Harris and the New England offensive line managed to achieve his goal. Four rushes and 28 combined yards later, the Steelers were out of timeouts, and could do nothing as Mac Jones kneeled the ball down three times to clinch the win.
“It was just good that offensively, we could end the game with the ball in our hands,” Harris explained. “Not giving it back to them, running out the clock. Whether it’s mixing in some runs, some passes — whatever the plays were — it was just about execution. In these tough games, these critical situations, hostile environments, that’s what it comes down to — good fundamentals and good execution. We put that on display, and we were able to close out the game.”
An interesting admission from the Steelers after the game was the credit paid to Jones for correctly reading Pittsburgh’s defense.
Steelers linebacker Malik Reed attributed the Patriots’ timely calls to Jones.
“At the line, he was checking a lot,” said Reed. “He was seeing what we were in. He is a pretty smart guy. Once they had a feel for our adjustments, they were able to counteract those things.”
Harris, 25, led the Patriots with 71 yards rushing on the day (including a touchdown).
Asked about his in-game injury scare, Harris downplayed the extent of what initially appeared to be a knee injury.
“I’m fine, dog! Look at me, I’m fine!”
Trivia: Before yesterday, the last Patriots-Steelers matchup that didn’t include either Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger was back in 1998. Who was the Steelers quarterback that day?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He played his college football for Colorado.
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- Steelers’ Gunner Olszewski on crucial muffed punt against Patriots: ‘I just dropped it’
- ‘Good football when we needed it the most’: Bill Belichick on Sunday’s win over Pittsburgh
- Tom Brady throws tablet in frustration during first half vs. Saints
- David Price plans to retire following the 2022 season
- Former Alabama players Mac Jones, Najee Harris pose for photo after Patriots win
- ‘You did this to yourself’: Matt Hasselbeck’s strong criticism of the Patriots’ coaching staff
- Jimmy Garoppolo comes off bench to lead 49ers past Seahawks 27-7
Robert Kraft was given the game ball after his 500th game as Patriots owner:
A rare day for New York sports: Boston’s traditional rival experienced broad success for the first time in years on Sunday.
On this day: In 1999, the Patriots rallied from a second-half 28-7 deficit to defeat Peyton Manning and the Colts, 31-28.
Drew Bledsoe threw for 299 yards and four touchdowns, and Adam Vinatieri kicked the 26-yard winning field goal with 35 seconds remaining.
Daily highlight: What else could it be but Nelson Agholor’s best Randy Moss impression?
One more look:
Trivia answer: Kordell Stewart
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