No matter if you were opponents or teammates, everyone was a little scared of James Harrison. The Cincinnati Bengals certainly were when Harrison, after years of playing against them, signed with the team for one season in 2013. Joining the Bleav In Steelers podcast, former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau recalled Harrison’s comments about the Bengals.
“The only guy that I can think of that we got back who left us was Harrison, and I didn’t want to ever lose him,” LeBeau told hosts Ike Taylor and Mark Bergin. “And it didn’t work out for him where he went. He went to Cincinnati, and he said everybody was afraid of him over there. I said, ‘Well, hell yes, you beat the hell out of them twice a year every time we played them!'”
In his age-35 season, Harrison left the Steelers for the Bengals. He played 15 games, starting 10, and had quiet numbers in rotational snaps. He finished with just 31 tackles and two sacks, his worst numbers since his backup days in Pittsburgh, and an awkward scheme fit in the Cincinnati’s defense. The Bengals won the division at 11-5 but in true Marvin Lewis fashion, were bounced in the Wild Card round. Harrison was released one year into his two-year deal.
Both sides realized the poor mesh and Harrison returned to Pittsburgh in 2014, immediately improving his production. Though he shifted to a backup and rotational role late in his career, sometimes to his immense frustration, his size, strength, and unmatchable work ethic remained strong. Not to mention his on-field personality. Always serious, immensely intense, Harrison wasn’t someone to be on the wrong side of.
As LeBeau pointed out, Harrison was dominant against the Bengals. For his career, he notched 17 QB hits, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles in 24 contests against them. The only team he sacked more than Cincinnati were his 16 against the Baltimore Ravens. During that era, Harrison and the Steelers dominated the Bengals, winning 18 of those games.
In many ways, Harrison was the modern era old-school player. Like Dick Butkus or Jack Lambert, Harrison had the ability and the personality to play in any era. Everyone who knew him, whether they were on-field friends or foe, knew it.
