Scouting Report: Film reveals strengths, weaknesses in James Harrison's game

I watched every one of James Harrison’s snaps over the last year-plus. My two biggest takeaways? One, he’s no longer James Harrison, Destroyer of Worlds. That guy is about 10 years in the rear-view. Don’t expect this sort of thing.

Two? He’s still a pretty good part-time player who can still give you something on a rotational basis when it comes to rushing the passer and setting the edge. Just don’t ask him to drop into coverage.

The 39-year-old, who has been a healthy scratch for multiple games this season, was the odd man out for much of the year in Pittsburgh, as rookie T.J. Watt emerged as more of a presence at the RE/OLB spot. But his 15 snaps against the Chiefs earlier in the season really served as a showcase for what he has left in the tank, and could create a framework when it comes to expectations on Harrison the rest of the season in Foxborough.


We talked to our pal Christopher Carter of DKPittsburghSports.com about Harrison, and here’s some of what he said:

“When it comes to power techniques at getting around the edge, Harrison has still got the tools to be a troublesome pass rusher,” said Carter. “He arguably has the best rip move I’ve seen over the years and knows several leverage tricks to fool offensive tackles into overplaying one side of him and then ripping them off. He’s a wily veteran when it comes to that. The problem that Harrison brings at 39 is that he’s lost the explosiveness that he relied upon to consistently win on the edge and to also drop into coverage.

“Both T.J Watt and Bud Dupree drop into coverage just about as much as they rush the quarterback and that has become a vital part of defensive coordinator Keith Butler’s defense. Harrison is a liability in that regard, and can’t move as well in space as any of the younger outside linebackers for the Steelers. If the Patriots need someone that can shed a blocker against the run and get the occasional win on the edge, Harrison will be able to fill there. But if they drop him into coverage like they did Trey Flowers on Le’Veon Bell, they might not like what they see. He’s still smart about how he plays into a defensive scheme and can be relied upon to know how to win. And he’s extremely competitive each time he’s on the field.”

That pretty much jibes with what I saw on film against Kansas City. By my count against the Chiefs, of his 15 snaps, he dropped into coverage five times and rushed the passer on 10 occasions, all while lining up pretty much exclusively on the right side of the defense. The coverage? Meh. On his pass rush, there were a variety of old-school moves on left tackle Eric Fisher, and while none of them were particularly explosive -- he's a step slower than he used to be -- he did a nice job executing, ultimately setting him up for a big play at the end of the game.

On this one, he lined up on the right, showed some nice agility as he hopped into the A gap, using the fact that defensive lineman Cam Heyward occupied two blockers to his advantage. He got his hands on quarterback Alex Smith, and came away with one of his two quarterback hits, producing some decent pressure.



There was a straight-ahead rush on Fisher where he did a good job getting his hands into him and steering him backward.



It wasn’t all perfect. He (and Hayward) overran/were blocked out of the play here, letting Smith out of the pocket.



But there was more good than bad, like here, where he started lined up opposite Travis Kelce. (Interesting that Kelce had zero interest in chipping him before his route.) Harrison got his hands on Smith again here.



When it comes to setting the edge, Harrison needs to give the Patriots some oomph. That means he’ll be cutting into the playing time of Eric Lee and Marquis Flowers, two guys who were already a bit above their head to start with and have struggled at times out there. It's an area that Harrison sees as one of his strengths -- "I could do that when I'm 60," he said earlier in the year after a game where the Bears gashed Pittsburgh time and again with stretch plays and working the end ... all while Harrison was languishing on the bench. (Pro Football Focus had him as one of the best values when it came to rating edge defenders contracts last year.) Against the Chiefs, there wasn’t a lot of edge work to be had, but he came away with a partial tackle here (on the left side, for what it's worth), making sure Kareem Hunt didn’t bounce it outside.



Harrison’s biggest moment against Kansas City? It came with just over a minute left in regulation. The Chiefs were facing a third-and-10 at the Pittsburgh 40, as Kansas City was driving for what would be a go-ahead score. But then, Harrison tip-toed inside just before the snap, and then proceeded to beat Fisher with a vintage speed move on the outside.



It was a wake-up-the-echoes moment for the 39-year-old, and to this point, his only sack of the season. On the next play, a fourth-down, a late Alex Smith pass was off the mark, and the Steelers left Kansas City with a win.

“I told you guys we were going to play him, and you see why: He delivered a significant play in a significant moment,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Harrison after the game. “That is why we value him.”

“It's a good feeling any time you get out there and play,” Harrison said. “That's what I do. I like to compete. Anytime I'm on the sideline, of course I'm not happy with that. I want to go out there and compete. I'm not playing this game because I want to stand on the sideline.”

(For what it’s worth, Harrison and Fisher have a history — Harrison was the one who drew the holding call in last year’s divisional playoff game that took Kansas City’s late two-pointer off the board. Maybe the Patriots got Harrison with an eye toward a New England-Kansas City playoff game? We shall see.)

Butler’s idea of dropping him into coverage? Like banging a square peg into a round hole, with last year's AFC title game being a prime example. On the first one, Harrison is lined up at an outside linebacker spot on the outside shoulder of left tackle Nate Solder. And then, when the Patriots shift, he finds himself in open space having to cover Chris Hogan off the line. Gulp. It does not end well for Harrison. (Maybe this was why his first official act as a Patriot was to celebrate being on the same team as Brady?)



It’s the same story here on this second-half pass play, where he’s caught in between. He’s somehow matched up on a wide receiver outside the numbers, and has the general look of a man who isn’t completely confident in what he’s doing when Brady finds fullback James Develin for a completion.



We won’t put this one on Harrison, but it’s clear at the start of this play, he’s unsure of where he’s going. As a result, Julian Edelman gets a free release off the line and a sizable gain.



Ultimately, Harrison’s limitations are clear at this stage of his career. He’s not an every-down defender. And he should be kept out of open space and pass coverage at all costs. But as a smart and wily veteran with a knack for big plays in big moments, if he’s used judiciously, he could be a real asset for the New England defense in the regular-season finale and the postseason.