Freak Catch In SB - Harmon Could Have Done More

I've been watching the replay of the Super Bowl win religiously over and over again... and I just started thinking, the more and more that I see the final drive by the Seahawks, is "Shame on Harmon" for not finishing his assignment.

Butler actually had perfect coverage, got his hand right into the receivers hand and broke the play up.. Harmon was coming in and he should have cleaned that play up, but instead he just sort of slows down and hops over Kearse instead of finishing the play and ensuring an incomplete.

I think Harmon has played well and is an up and comer in this system and I don't want to rag on him hard for that play or anything, but just go watch that freak catch a few times in a row and tell me you don't think Harmon could have put a bit more effort into his safety responsibilities.

Again not trying to hate on him or rag on him too much, but as a safety there the ball was still in play and he shut it down before the whistle blew it dead. Obviously don't expect perfection or anything, but "COMMON MAN!" comes to mind when watch that.

Let me just re-emphasize that I like Harmon, glad he's on the team and look forward to his development.. I don't expect perfection, its a flukey type play and all so can't give him too hard of a time.. but he was perfectly in position to break that play up for good and just end that game, and instead he lowered the throttle, hopped over Kearse and gave up on the play.

I'm sure he'll use this as a learning experience, I'm sure everyone on the team, coaches included, will use that as a learning/teaching experience.

P.S. Butler's coverage on that play was PERFECTION.

depth perception

Actually with the defenseless receiver rule, slamming into a receiver on the ground who looks to have missed the pass to begin with would have probably caused a personal foul.

I think Harmon would tell you himself that he screwed that up royally. I am sure he gets sick watching that play and watching himself leap over Kearse instead of staying put. Thankfully the hero to be had the presence of mind to get right up and push him out.

I always wondered if they go over the game in meetings with players post Super Bowl or does everyone just go their own way afterward? I wondered this after those Giants losses, especially the first one.

It's one play that he could've done better on. No big deal. If the ball fell incomplete nobody would have even noticed that he jumped over the receiver. Brady threw away 3 points with an awful pick and got MVP. Jamie Collins made a brutal mistake allowing Wilson to get around him on that 29 second drive before half and scramble for a big gain. These things happen. Harmon has a bright future I believe.

999 times out of 1000, that ball would not have been caught. So if Harmon had hit Kearse he would have been flagged. I'm going to give Harmon a pass because his action of purposely avoiding hitting Kearse is the absolute correct action so often that he was likely coached to do exactly what he did. Every so often there's a freak occurrence and this was one of them. You can't fault a guy for avoiding what he sees as a sure penalty.

Harmon had an opportunity to pick the ball off as Kearse was batting it around and end the game.

Belichick praised Malcom as much for his after thought tackling of Kearse as he did The Interception which tells me that highly unusual situation will simply become a teaching moment moving forward and not a finger pointing one.

This sounds like some of Wilfork's personal fouls over the years. It doesn't matter if the play is actually over. If the ref thinks the play is over and you jump on a guy, then you risk getting flagged. It's not the right way for a ref to make that judgment and this is a perfect example why, but I think it's perfectly understandable why Harmon did what he did.

It's funny but I just watched the game again and thought the same things on the Kearse catch. I also understand why Harmon did what he did and agree that it will be a help in the future.

The best thing was when Collinsworth said 'but they aren't in there yet' after Butler knocked Kearse OOB. That one put a smile on my face.

I don't want Harmon to clobber Kearse. I want him make a play on the ball. I guarantee tape of that play finds a permanent place in the Belisitrator "how not to play safety" highlight reel.

While watching that play I can't help but think Harmon could've knocked it away or batted it away with his foot, shin, thigh.... Or he could've barrelled into the receiver....chances are, though, he may not have even seen the ball once it appeared to have bounced off the ground...

Oh, and speaking of watching the Superbowl, the announcers brought up deflategate and the ominous punishment soon to be pending for the Pats on three separate occasions during the second half. The last time was with 2:52 to play as the Pats were driving for the winning TD.

The_Riddler said:

I think Harmon would tell you himself that he screwed that up royally. I am sure he gets sick watching that play and watching himself leap over Kearse instead of staying put. Thankfully the hero to be had the presence of mind to get right up and push him out.

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Sir Isaac Newton would have had something to say about that.

Thanks for the positive responses and feedback so far, this is exactly what I wanted was just discussion on that play type and a safety's responsibilities. My goal is not to crap all over Harmon and finger point, just some things for thought and I appreciate everyone's contributions!

I definitely wouldn't have wanted Harmon to clobber Kearse and draw a personal foul, and again.. im not saying this is the end of the world or anything, its the off season so its just a discussion point, but i think he could have dove in there and just stuck a hand out to ensure that the ball made it to the ground.

Its a criticism without trying to be too critical, if that makes sense...

Patstopia said:

Actually with the defenseless receiver rule, slamming into a receiver on the ground who looks to have missed the pass to begin with would have probably caused a personal foul.

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Yea I don't mean smash into him for an impact hit, I meant more just continuing to play the ball because it was live and in the air, in his direct path of momentum. Flukey play, and I think I should have approached it a bit differently and make it seem less about Harmon and more about the responsibilities of the Safety position.

The safety is suppose to clean up that play there, and it would be unfortunate if the overzealous nature of the competition committee cracking down on the hits to receivers affected Harmon's decision there.

Disagree completely, I have seen that play many times as well and don't see how Harmon was supposed to make that play without drawing a personal foul.

If he kicks it away he runs the risk of being flagged for illegal kicking.
If he dives on Kearse he runs the risk of being flagged for unnecessary roughness.
With the speed he was going originally to get into the position he was, it would have been near impossible to adjust/dive to break up the tip.

There are more angles available now, look on youtube. Harmon was never in a position to make a play and had tremendous momentum going toward the sideline, not towards the ball.

If Harmon was a professional acrobat and rehearsed it, I doubt he could have made a play on the ball, but in live action? It simply wasn't there.

People are victims of original camera angles up and down the sidelines that make it look as if he was near the ball because there's no depth perception. It's an optical illusion.