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When teams take on the Baltimore Ravens, they always expect them to be tough defensively. Due to injuries, the Ravens defensive line was a little bit undermanned heading into Sunday’s action. The New England Patriots were able to take advantage of that, and as a result, Damien Harris had another big day.
Harris rushed the ball 22 times for 121 yards. Averaging 5.5 yards per carry, a 25-yard run was his longest of the evening. According to ESPN Stats and Info, he recorded 79 of those 121 yards before initial contact.
For Harris, this was his second 100-yard game of the season. The other one came against the Buffalo Bills on November 1.
On Sunday night, Harris continued to show that he can play with consistency, and also play with a level of physicality. His 22 rushing attempts were the most he’s had in any game this season. Although he did not always break off big runs, he did what the Patriots needed him to do on Sunday night. For their part, New England employed a rushing attack, and it paid off in a big way.
For one, it kept the ball out of the hands of Lamar Jackson. It also allowed for New England to control the pace of the game. Harris sliced and diced the Baltimore defense, and it seemed like he was a man on a mission.
Harris brought that same sort of physicality that we saw at Alabama. He got the gritty yards for New England, the two or three yards needed to keep the drive alive, and the quick yards on first down that made the ensuing downs more manageable. He helped them pace the drive, and put the entire offense into a nice rhythm
Over the past couple of games, he has really shown that physical element. He has the ability to keep his legs moving, even after the first hit. On Sunday night, it came in handy against a Ravens run defense that ranked eighth against the run with 101.8 yards allowed per game.
Harris fit in nicely with New England’s game plan, and he was a major part of the rushing component. In total, New England recorded 173 rushing yards, and 4.4 yards per carry. Whenever New England needed a crucial carry, it seemed like Harris was there.
No longer is Harris just another running back in the backfield. Now, he is becoming New England’s go-to guy and is assuming a crucial role.
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