One player in the Broncos secondary came up with two critical pass breakups in overtime Sunday to help prevent the Miami offense from moving down the field for a game-winning score.
It wasn’t 10-time Pro-Bowler Champ Bailey or eight-time Pro-Bowler Brian Dawkins.
It was undrafted rookie Chris Harris.
Harris has seen little time in the secondary this season as he’s primarily been a special teams standout. But he was a big part of the Broncos’ overtime success.
On the first play from scrimmage in the extra period, he nearly intercepted a pass intended for Miami receiver Brandon Marshall, setting the Dolphins up for second-and-10. On the next series, he made a diving breakup on a deep pass down the middle, keeping Miami at its own 15-yard line.
“I’ve always had confidence since I’ve been here, so I’ve just been like, ‘Man, throw me in already. Just throw me in,’” Harris said Monday.
Harris smiled as he said he prepares by aiming to outwork Dawkins, who’s considered one of the hardest working individuals on the team, even at age 38.
“Coaches have been seeing me make plays in practice, and every day I go to practice I have to outwork ‘Dawk.’ So when I’m outworking Dawk, I know I’m working hard,” Harris said. “That’s just the approach I took every day in practice, and making plays in practice so they show up on the field.”
Head Coach John Fox was pleased with Harris’ performance.
“We’ve got some guys that we’re finding out about,” Fox said Monday. “We threw Chris Harris in there. He had two critical pass breakups late.”
-Kenny Legan
Tags: Chris Harris, Miami Dolphins, Week 7
Good for Chris!
Undrafted guys are always the hungriest. A FS and CB in college … for some reason I thought he was slow but not that bad … he runs a 4.49 or something. Short guy about 5’10 (really 5’9 they always add an inch) and 190 or so pounds. Don’t matter ur size as long as u can play. Kudos to him.
TRB
Maybe Chris will find himself on the field a little more helping out with more great plays.
Dawk and Champ need someone to push them. GO HARRIS!
Those were fantastic plays he made toward the end. I hope to see more of him in the future.
I keep having to remind myself – One game at a time, one game at a time.
As I look at the schedule and the improvements in the team both O and D, I’m starting to be a bunch more optimistic. I think winning this week looks to be our second greatest challenge for the rest of the season, with Pats being the greatest. Pats will be a better match-up in that they are great O, emphasis on pass, and a fairly weak D. I don’t know where DEN lands in the pass defense rankings but it ought to be reasonable.
Of course AFC West opponents will all be huge games – but what happens this week against the Lions will tell us a lot.
We’ll beat the Pats. Unless something happens. But nothing ever happens in football.
new blog
We get Pats and Lions at home – #3 challenge is BUF away. That might be the game we could afford to lose if this season ramps up with the win against Lions. That is if SD continues their decline.
Nope – noway to end up in the playoffs. Get it outta my head! One Game at a time!
Congrats to Harris and Wilhite for stepping up,with guys getting better we might have a decent Defense after all,they just need time to play together!
Yea playoffs are a pretty lofty pipe dream still unless we just have some monumental miracle turnaround and everyone starts making plays all over the place and san diego would literally have to collapse
I say let play behind Goodman til he eventually take his place, cause he WILL take his place.
Just no more Wilhite please.
I was wondering who that #25 was, he was doin work all over the field.
Great Job Harris!
Harris played great late in the game, and I really like how Coach Allen has used all of the DB’s. This is a backfield by committee approach and I like it! It really doesn’t matter who starts in my mind, it matters how the players respond when given the chance. I hope Coach Allen keeps up the rotation keeping fresh guy’s on the field and starting players based on matchups, performance, and health. Rather than starting players based on Ego, or when they were drafted and or even how much the TEAM is paying them.
TIME OF POSSESSION ! ! !
GO BRONCOS ! ! !