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Patriots’ Jonnu Smith wins ‘Angry Runs’ award for vicious stiff arm vs. Jets
The Patriots' tight end earned the "Good Morning, Football" award for tossing Jets cornerback Brandin Echols to the turf during a catch-and-run Sunday.
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Patriots tight end Jonnu Smith didn’t get to play the whole game against the Jets on Sunday, bowing out early due to a shoulder injury.
But he made the most out of the opportunities he got, racking up 52 yards receiving on two catches, five yards rushing, and one brutal stiff arm on cornerback Brandin Echols.
That latter accomplishment earned him some enthusiastic praise from Kyle Brandt and the rest of the “Good Morning, Football” crew on NFL Network.
Brandt crowned Smith the winner of the “Angry Runs” award for Week 7, signifying the “most physically dominating” run in the NFL each week.
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The Patriots’ tight end earned the ceremonial “Angry Runs” scepter for the week after slinging Echols to the turf on a 28-yard catch-and-run after unintentionally clasping hands with Echols on his initial stiff-arm attempt.
“I love what Jonnu Smith did because you’ve never seen a hand-hold, Irish-whip-style, WWF takedown. But I like it,” a hyped-up Brandt said.
“I love the deception here. The skullduggery. And the appearance of friendship that turns right into anger.”
Smith becomes the first Patriot to win the humorous award this season after Damien Harris finished as the runner-up in Week 2 for his punishing 26-yard touchdown against the Jets.
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The winner that week: Harris’s old Alabama Crimson Tide teammate and current Pittsburgh Steelers back Najee Harris, who unceremoniously threw Los Angeles Raiders safety Johnathan Abrams out the club after a catch.
Coincidentally, the Patriots’ Harris happened to join GMFB Tuesday morning after Brandt unveiled Smith — whom the running back called “The Beast” — as the Week 7 “Angry Runs” champion and was asked about the snub in Week 2.
As gracious off the field as he is a monster on it, the New England running back had nothing but praise for his old teammate and namesake brother.
“Najee’s been doing that probably since he was born,” the Patriots’ back laughed. “So I don’t blame you guys. Najee’s a tough dude. He’s a hard runner. What he did on that stiff arm was pretty angry…I wouldn’t rather lose to anybody else.”
But that doesn’t mean Damien Harris doesn’t think his own play wasn’t memorable itself.
“I still watch it sometimes just because it’s one of those career plays that you make that — I want to remember that play forever,” he said.
If nothing else, the Patriots certainly are developing a league-wide reputation as a team that runs the ball with some malice and with a splash of contempt for defenders.
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