NFL Defensive POY -- James Harrison

Actually, you have one in this fight just as much as I do. You have shown it many other times with posts regarding the Steelers. Your bias just swings the other way.

Harrison had 101 tackles this season. I guess teams ran to his side a hell of a lot this year, huh? He also led the league with seven forced fumbles. One led to a safety in the 11-10 victory against the Chargers this season. He also took away a potential score with an interception in that game.

Harrison forced the fumble that Lamarr Woodley returned for a touchdown, which was the play of the game in the Steelers' first victory over the Ravens this season.

He had two strip sacks that the Steelers recovered to turn a close game against the Patriots into a blowout.

Those are just three games in which Harrison made huge plays that I thought of off the top of my head. He doesn't make quite as many huge plays as Reed, but he is a more consistent presence with his ability to disrupt the running game as well as rush the passer.

Also, you have to give him a little credit for playing on the better defense. Not by much, but they are better.

 

Trying to play offense against a dominant safety is tricky.

Trying to play offense against a dominant defensive tackle is trickier.

Reasonable minds can disagree, though, but I don't see how anyone on defense is involved in more plays than a defensive tackle. He can make it impossible to run the ball, and he can destroy the pocket to mess up the passing game — especially in the NFL, with its pro-style offenses.

 

Agreed. All things being equal, I would rather have the dominant defensive tackle.

 

That's why Reed was my pick. I know it's not an MVP award but in a close situation (you can't argue that it wasn't close), I take into account how indispensable a player is.

 

You're misreading that last line. Harrison doesn't have a better cast around him. His is a better defense including him than what Reed is a part of in Baltimore.

With all due respect to Reed, if you take away both players from their respective teams, I think the Ravens would have the better defense.

 

I respectfully disagree. And if that were the only criteria, I'd say Ware would be the pick.

 

I'm simply comparing Harrison and Reed. There are other criteria such as 16 sacks, seven forced fumbles and 101 tackles that kinda help, too.

 

As a dominant defensive tackle, Cortez Kennedy was DPOY in '92 with 92 tackles, 14 sacks, 28 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.

For a 2-14 team that finished seventh in the league in total defense.

 

Reed had only one interception and six passes defended in the Ravens' first 10 games. He's been phenomenal from the 11th game on, but if you're talking about game-changing plays on a consistent basis -- from the start of the season through the playoffs -- the edge goes to Harrison.

 

I will say this: Steelers defense w/o Harrison would still be great.

Cowboys defense w/o Ware would not be anywhere near as good as they were for stretches of this season.

This ends the Cowboys fanboi part of your program.

 

That is one reason I thought Ware was going to get the award, though I think Harrison is the more complete player.

 

Thing about Reed is, for all the times he's played the Steelers I've never seen him have a dominant impact. Lewis, yes. Even Adalius Thomas back when he was on that D. But I haven't seen that from Reed.
Outofplace, am I right about that?
What amazes me about Harrison is that the guy gets held on every pass rush. Every single one. And still gets 16 sacks.