Freak Catch In SB - Harmon Could Have Done More

hwc · Apr 4, 2015

He jumped over Kearse while the ball was still in the air.

TheBostonStraggler · Apr 4, 2015

Harmon could have kept that pass from being completed. I don't believe anyone doubts that. Yet when split second judgment involving numerous physical and mental choices are involved, it could have been Revis or McCourty or any well known DB. It's expecting too much to believe it will be the right choice in an overwhelming number of times.
As much as I dislike glib statements, "we won" is an appropriate belief on the Harmon play.

RayClay · Apr 4, 2015

TheBostonStraggler said:
Harmon could have kept that pass from being completed. I don't believe anyone doubts that.

I definitely doubt that.

Kontradiction · Apr 4, 2015

Harmon didn't have to hit him, but his recognition could have been better. Kearse was still clearly juggling that ball. Harmon was in position to knock it away but jumped over him instead. Kudos to Butler for having the presence of mind to push Kearse out of bounds.

RxJock1120 · Apr 4, 2015

Can we put this argument to rest?! If Harmon makes a different play, Butler doesn't make the pick, and millions of Pats fans aren't screaming uncontrollably 1 min later.....THE END!!!

ausbacker · Apr 4, 2015

Shame on Harmon for playing in the Super Bowl and being required to make a split second decision at game speed without the benefit of slow motion replay.

Deus Irae · Apr 4, 2015

Harmon screwed up, and his screw up could have cost the team the game. This is not news. Fortunately, the team overcame the mistake and won the Super Bowl.

BradyManny · Apr 4, 2015

ausbacker said:
Shame on Harmon for playing in the Super Bowl and being required to make a split second decision at game speed without the benefit of slow motion replay.

For the .00002% of the world population who is skilled enough to be a professional football player, making split second decisions at game speed is a prerequisite for the job.

Maybe it would've been a great play to knock it away, but he made a similarly great play two games earlier.

BradyManny · Apr 4, 2015

stinebot said:
You can't fault a guy for avoiding what he sees as a sure penalty.

Harmon actually looks like he's about to launch at the ball floating there in air. He stops himself and then jumps out of bounds. I don't see how he's possibly called for hitting a defenseless receiver if he goes for the ball.

Brady_to_Moss · Apr 4, 2015

yeah...no

captain stone · Apr 4, 2015

JarOfMayo51 said:
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.

You are 100% correct. McCourty, Rodney, Milloy, even Geno Wilson & Tebucky Jones would've taken care
of business there. Harmon effed up, plain & simple. It amazes me how many people are making excuses for him.

ausbacker · Apr 5, 2015

BradyManny said:
For the .00002% of the world population who is skilled enough to be a professional football player, making split second decisions at game speed is a prerequisite for the job.

Maybe it would've been a great play to knock it away, but he made a similarly great play two games earlier.

Harmon didn't have a play on the ball. It's obvious watching the damn play on video. Providing a still to support the position that Harmon should/could have made the play is cherry picking of the highest order.

Regarding your split second decision comment, I agree. Harmon made his decision and I am fine with it. He slams into the WR and breaks up the pass it's probably a penalty so we're at the same point (perhaps worse) than what occurred.

Batman · Apr 5, 2015

Harmon was screwed in that situation. If he dives for it he risks hitting Kearse and giving away a personal foul his other option is to kick it away also a foul. I believe that is an unsportsman like foul

Clonamery · Apr 5, 2015

captain stone said:
You are 100% correct. McCourty, Rodney, Milloy, even Geno Wilson & Tebucky Jones would've taken care
of business there. Harmon effed up, plain & simple. It amazes me how many people are making excuses for him.

Yeah it was a much easier play than the Tyree helmet catch that Rodney prevented. Oh wait. You're being ironic.

Haha. Good one.

BradyManny · Apr 5, 2015

ausbacker said:
Harmon didn't have a play on the ball. It's obvious watching the damn play on video. Providing a still to support the position that Harmon should/could have made the play is cherry picking of the highest order.

If you go watch the video, it is actually much more clear that he did have a play on the ball. I have just freeze framed it for you at the moment where he was about to make the play and stopped himself. Again, I'm not saying it's an easy play,an interception would've been amazing, but he doesn't have to be very precise to disrupt the play.

But safeties at least attempt to make those plays all the time. What does not happen all the time (or more precisely, never), yet people are acting like it does, is they are called for a personal foul for trying to intercept a pass.

Again, I'm not trying to kill the guy, it would've been a great play to make - just saying it's not absurd to think Belichick might use that as a coaching moment.

Fencer · Apr 5, 2015

KontradictioN said:
Harmon didn't have to hit him, but his recognition could have been better. Kearse was still clearly juggling that ball. Harmon was in position to knock it away but jumped over him instead. Kudos to Butler for having the presence of mind to push Kearse out of bounds.

Harmon had to decide whether to stay in the play or jump over it before it was known whether Kearse had a shot at a catch. That's his excuse, and it's a good one.

Perhaps he should have been coached to dive low over Kearse rather than jump high over him. That would have been the right choice on this particular freak play. But I don't know how it would work out in general.

DarrylS · Apr 5, 2015

Do not fault Harmon at all, he avoided a penalty and had to make the decision he made in a millisecond.. the game is faster than it seems from the couch..

Controlling his body alone, and avoiding a penalty was exemplary..

No excuses, except that this game is played by humans..

BradyManny · Apr 5, 2015

DarrylS said:
Controlling his body alone, and avoiding a penalty was exemplary..

I think this avoiding the penalty stuff is overstated. Hitting a defenseless receiver has never been called for incidental contact. Unless he launches himself at Kearse's head, there is no threat of penalty. If you go in looking to hurt the receiver (aka, Brandon Meriweathering), yes, you will get called, but making a play on the ball will not warrant a flag.

If you can find me examples of other plays where guys purposely avoided an opposing player while a tipped ball was in the air, maybe I would consider he did what was coached - but I think we're inventing an excuse. I would love to hear from someone who has played in the secondary, I could be wrong.

SHOWTIME15 · Apr 5, 2015

Concussion Protocol said:
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.

i don't think it was collins who allowed wilson to make that big run - it was chandler jones who went for the sack instead of containing him.

SHOWTIME15 · Apr 5, 2015

DarrylS said:
Do not fault Harmon at all, he avoided a penalty and had to make the decision he made in a millisecond.. the game is faster than it seems from the couch..

Controlling his body alone, and avoiding a penalty was exemplary..

No excuses, except that this game is played by humans..

how is it avoiding a penalty when kearse hadn't been tackled yet? Kearse made the catch, was down on the ground and no one touched him until he got up and butler pushed him out of bounds.

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