ALWAYS READY FOR THE MOMENT
from Boston.com this morning
“Malcolm, go!” will forever be the signature moment for the Patriots’ mantra that players must be ready for their number to be called at any moment. It came when Brian Flores sent Butler onto the field for his fateful interception of Russell Wilson at the end of Super Bowl XLIX, and will live in the annals of New England sports history forever. It also can’t be forgotten that Butler, then an undrafted rookie, was ready to take a prominent role from Kyle Arrington after the veteran corner struggled in the first half of that game against the Seahawks.
Duron Harmon won’t be remembered with quite that legacy. But he nevertheless deserves credit for being ready when his number was called, and for quickly transitioning from big-game bystander to a critical playmaker.
His story begins in the AFC title tilt, at Kansas City. Throughout the regular season, Harmon played nearly 61 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. In three games, including the regular-season finale, he was on the field more than 80 percent of the defensive game. At KC, he was on the field for two snaps.
According to ESPN, Harmon was on the field for one snap in the first half of the Super Bowl. However, when Patrick Chung was injured on the third play of the third quarter, and forced to spend the rest of the game standing on the sideline a la Rodney Harrison with his arm in a sling, Harmon was pressed into duty at safety.
And he elevated to the occasion.
Officially, Harmon didn’t even make the box score. No tackles, no measurable statistics, at least at the statistician’s first assessment. But he was absolutely there, as the final score can attest.
Harmon’s contributions came on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter, the first coming when he provided deep support to Stephon Gilmore in his coverage of Brandin Cooks. Jared Goff threw what might’ve been his best ball of the day, dropping it into Cooks’s arms from 27 yards out. Gilmore was there, but the throw was so good it would’ve been a touchdown had the receiver held on — except Harmon crashed the party, knocked Cooks down before he could corral the pigskin, and kept the Patriots’ lead at seven.
On the very next play, the Rams tried going back to that well again. This time, though, Harmon wasn’t hanging back. He launched in on a blitz, timing his rush just as the blocker picked up the also-attacking Devin McCourty, and bearing down on Goff quickly. The quarterback saw the threat, and as a result he rushed his throw without fully stepping into it. The result was a floater that hovered for a while before coming down in the hands of Gilmore, who was much nearer to the throw than Cooks, its intended receiver.
The interception gave the Patriots a chance to kill the clock and close the win. They did just that, giving Harmon his third ring.
from Boston.com this morning
“Malcolm, go!” will forever be the signature moment for the Patriots’ mantra that players must be ready for their number to be called at any moment. It came when Brian Flores sent Butler onto the field for his fateful interception of Russell Wilson at the end of Super Bowl XLIX, and will live in the annals of New England sports history forever. It also can’t be forgotten that Butler, then an undrafted rookie, was ready to take a prominent role from Kyle Arrington after the veteran corner struggled in the first half of that game against the Seahawks.
Duron Harmon won’t be remembered with quite that legacy. But he nevertheless deserves credit for being ready when his number was called, and for quickly transitioning from big-game bystander to a critical playmaker.
His story begins in the AFC title tilt, at Kansas City. Throughout the regular season, Harmon played nearly 61 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. In three games, including the regular-season finale, he was on the field more than 80 percent of the defensive game. At KC, he was on the field for two snaps.
According to ESPN, Harmon was on the field for one snap in the first half of the Super Bowl. However, when Patrick Chung was injured on the third play of the third quarter, and forced to spend the rest of the game standing on the sideline a la Rodney Harrison with his arm in a sling, Harmon was pressed into duty at safety.
And he elevated to the occasion.
Officially, Harmon didn’t even make the box score. No tackles, no measurable statistics, at least at the statistician’s first assessment. But he was absolutely there, as the final score can attest.
Harmon’s contributions came on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter, the first coming when he provided deep support to Stephon Gilmore in his coverage of Brandin Cooks. Jared Goff threw what might’ve been his best ball of the day, dropping it into Cooks’s arms from 27 yards out. Gilmore was there, but the throw was so good it would’ve been a touchdown had the receiver held on — except Harmon crashed the party, knocked Cooks down before he could corral the pigskin, and kept the Patriots’ lead at seven.
On the very next play, the Rams tried going back to that well again. This time, though, Harmon wasn’t hanging back. He launched in on a blitz, timing his rush just as the blocker picked up the also-attacking Devin McCourty, and bearing down on Goff quickly. The quarterback saw the threat, and as a result he rushed his throw without fully stepping into it. The result was a floater that hovered for a while before coming down in the hands of Gilmore, who was much nearer to the throw than Cooks, its intended receiver.
The interception gave the Patriots a chance to kill the clock and close the win. They did just that, giving Harmon his third ring.
