If it wasn\’t enough that the Pittsburgh Steelers had linebacker James Harrison back on the field Sunday in their 16-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, they had him for almost every snap in addition.
Prior to the game defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau caution that the linebacker might be limited in his return, but Harrison was determined to stay on the field as long as he never got winded.
Harrison was asked after the game if he had any problems in his season debut. “No more than just trying to catch my breath,” said Harrison. The linebacker also said that he was never told that he would be on a snap count and that it depended totally on how he felt during the game.
So has Harrison found his legs yet? “Still haven\’t found them,” said Harrison when asked that very question. “I\’m still looking for them. It’s going to take a while to get back in shape. It’s a lot that needs to be corrected. I need more endurance. I don’t think I had any pop. But we came out with the win and that’s all that really matters.”
Harrison might have only recorded 2 tackles in the game, but he was able to get 3 recorded hits in on Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.
So how did the linebacker assess his play Sunday? “I would assess my play as a C minus,” said Harrison. “There\’s a lot that needs to be corrected. I need more endurance. I don\’t think I had any pop, but when its all said and done we came out with the win and that\’s all that really matters.”
I for one must tip my hat personally to Harrison, as I really thought he was in jeopardy of missing even more games moving forward, and perhaps even the rest of the season, after it looked like his left knee wasn\’t responding well to the procedure he had in mid August.
Harrison takes his heath and conditioning very serious, and while Father Time may have gained a few steps on him, he still hasn\’t sacked him completely. For now Harrison is back on the field attempting to sack quarterbacks and it certainly feels good to be so wrong about him.
