Treehugger Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 In a league that is tilting ever more pass-oriented, there is still space for an old-fashioned run-stuffing monster to roam the trenches, laying waste to everything in his path. In the 2016 season, that player (once again) was New York Giants DT Damon Harrison—the best run defender in the National Football League. Harrison is one of only two players (Aaron Donald being the other) to retain an award from PFF’s slate of honors, and nobody is closer to making an award their own. Harrison achieved this impressive feat despite changing teams and defensive schemes in the offseason. A year ago, he was the best run defender in the league playing for the New York Jets, and this season, he repeated that feat playing for the Giants. The dominance he has in this aspect of the game is remarkable and can be summed up in one key statistic: run-stop percentage. Harrison has led the league in run-stop percentage for the past four seasons. He played just 11 snaps against the run as an undrafted rookie back in 2012, and notched one tackle—it was a defensive stop. Much of the time, we think about the role of run-stuffing defensive tackle as one that doesn’t often come hand in hand with statistics. These players tend to be more space-eaters than playmakers. They block the point of attack, squeeze holes and generally disrupt running lanes for other players to clean up and make the tackles. Harrison, though, actively finishes the play better than any other defensive tackle PFF has graded in the past decade. His last two seasons have provided the highest run-stop percentage figures we have ever recorded for a defensive tackle over the past decade of grading. In 2015, Harrison notched a defensive stop on 18.1 percent of his snaps against the run; this past season, he did it on 15.8 percent. He racked up 49 defensive stops in the run game this season, 10 more than any other defensive tackle. That mark tied the record for the most PFF has ever recorded for a defensive tackle, breaking a record he set himself a year ago. Only eight other defensive tackles could even get within half of Harrison’s tally over the season, and he played fewer snaps against the run than many of them. In the past 10 years, the number of times a defensive tackle has posted more than 40 run stops in a season reads: rest of the NFL, one; Damon Harrison, two. There is simply no more disruptive force against the run than Damon Harrison, who is not only able to hold the point of attack and affect running lanes by moving blockers back, but actually shed those blocks and make stops in the hole himself, rather than simply open up opportunities for other players to make the play. The Giants handed Harrison a big-money contract in free agency because they recognized the transformative effect he could have on that defense. They added more than one piece to the puzzle, and not all of this is Harrison, but in the space of an offseason the Giants leapt from the 24th-ranked run defense in terms of yards per carry to third-best. Harrison is the league’s best run defender, and his impact has been obvious for all to see—rightly retaining his award for PFF’s Best Run Defender in 2016. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UK-Giantsfan Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Snacks is rapidly becoming my favourite current Giant .......I'm loving # 98 , intelligent and classy too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herc Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 This stuff just makes me depressed that we lost to a team we should've beat. I hope everyone stays healthy next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. P Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 I'm getting a snacks jersey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Snacks is rapidly becoming my favourite current Giant .......I'm loving # 98 , intelligent and classy too I love the dude... his work ethic and his personality are amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueInCanada Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Worst run defense in the league? Goes out and signs the best run defender in the NFL. JR dun did gud on dis one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA4M Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 This stuff just makes me depressed that we lost to a team we should've beat. I hope everyone stays healthy next year Other than the loss of DRC, no reason they should have played so piss poor the way they did. A Tom Coughlin team would have won that game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Other than the loss of DRC, no reason they should have played so piss poor the way they did. A Tom Coughlin team would have won that game. Not if Ben McAdoo was calling the plays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA4M Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Not if Ben McAdoo was calling the plays. At least there would have been some serious ass chewing by the middle of the 3rd qtr by TC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BronxRik Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 I love the dude... his work ethic and his personality are amazing. Careful. You'll make Keenan Robinson jealous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Careful. You'll make Keenan Robinson jealous. Haha... I love KR too... for the money.. he's played very well for us. He should be resigned long term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYG Hampton 27 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 I'm getting a snacks jersey.Are you going to have it say Snacks or Harrison? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. P Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Are you going to have it say Snacks or Harrison? Harrison. I thought about Snacks, but going with Harrison. The fiancée wants his jersey too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYG Hampton 27 Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Harrison. I thought about Snacks, but going with Harrison. The fiancée wants his jersey too. Nice. That makes more sense but Snacks would be pretty funny. I think in done getting jerseys but on the look out for a Landon Collins jersey tee shirt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Nice. That makes more sense but Snacks would be pretty funny. I think in done getting jerseys but on the look out for a Landon Collins jersey tee shirt Yea... the problem is the T-shirt quality sucks... they take a $2 t-shirt and splatter the logo and the player's name on it... I had to return my ODB t-shirt (that's all they had at the time... it just looked cheap and would unravel after the first wash). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA4M Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 There ya go. let's forget about all the political BS talk and show those new NY Giants fans coming up Cute kids! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sstempest Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 There ya go. let's forget about all the political BS talk and show those new NY Giants fans coming up Cute kids! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 There ya go. let's forget about all the political BS talk and show those new NY Giants fans coming up Cute kids! I think he borrowed those kids, too cute to be his Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 There ya go. let's forget about all the political BS talk and show those new NY Giants fans coming up Cute kids! I think he borrowed those kids, too cute to be his Thank you Thank you Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYG Hampton 27 Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 Adorable, Nas. Yeah I got an ODB I think nike tee shirt from models and it's holding up just fine. That's the one I'm hoping to see for Collins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. P Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 The best purchase I made this season: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 Adorable, Nas. Yeah I got an ODB I think nike tee shirt from models and it's holding up just fine. That's the one I'm hoping to see for Collins. Thanks brother... the boy loves footballs.. he ran away from us while we were shopping at party city in preparation for Sophie's 3rd birthday... it was a sight to see because Sophie ran one way and he ran the opposite way (that's when we learned the hard way to get a shopping cart and put them there)... I caught him with a small orange rubber football in his hand and he took a few steps towards me and threw it quite nicely lol... kid may make a pretty good QB (yes he will be taller than his dad)... or a baseball pitcher... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYG Hampton 27 Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 Haha that's great man. My brother and I used to do that, split up, run and go nuts haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 Haha that's great man. My brother and I used to do that, split up, run and go nuts haha They do chase each other in the house all night when I'm home.. not good when dad has a migraine but I deal lol... then I have to do "uppa" each wants me to toss them in the air a few times.... I look at it as an upper body work out but it's never good when you're suspecting pinched nerves It's great though.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYG Hampton 27 Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 They do chase each other in the house all night when I'm home.. not good when dad has a migraine but I deal lol... then I have to do "uppa" each wants me to toss them in the air a few times.... I look at it as an upper body work out but it's never good when you're suspecting pinched nerves It's great though.. Hah I know that game with my nephew. And each time it's "one more" and then "again again!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now