If the way he played in his debut with the New England Patriots was any indication, James Harrison still has plenty left in the tank. The 39-year-old played half of the team’s defensive snaps on Sunday, and he put the exclamation point on a 26-6 win.
Harrison recorded sacks on the final two plays of the game, with the first being a strip of Jets quarterback Bryce Petty that New York was able to recover. The two sacks with the Patriots give him one more than he had all season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
James Harrison (2.0 sacks today) recorded his first multi-sack game since Week 9, 2016 against the Ravens
He had more sacks in his first game with New England (2.0) than he had all season with Pittsburgh (1.0)
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) December 31, 2017
It’s worth noting that Harrison barely looked enthused after either sack. While that could have been because the Patriots were leading by 20 late in the fourth quarter, some have been speculating that the linebacker isn’t all that excited about playing for New England.
Prior to Sunday’s game, Harrison stood alone during the national anthem. He has also said he signed with the Patriots as a “business decision” and indicated he didn’t really have a choice if he wanted to continue his NFL career.
Harrison could feel a sense of loyalty to the Steelers even though he unloaded on them in a social media post this week. He spent the majority of his career in Pittsburgh, where the Patriots are despised. Those feelings don’t just disappear overnight. But if Harrison continues to make an impact on the field, fans in New England won’t care who he stands with during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
