Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon sprained his MCL during training camp, which kept him out of the first two games of the regular season. He finally made his NFL debut against the New England Patriots on Sunday, and his standout performance earned him praise from head coach Mike Tomlin.
“I was appreciative of his efforts, excited for him, he wanted to be out there with his teammates,” Tomlin said Sunday about Harmon’s first NFL game. “I thought he represented himself well today, and it’s just upwards and onwards from here.”
Harmon performed well on Sunday, recording two total pressures and one sack in 35 snaps.
Harmon not only made an individual impact on the team but also helped free up other players on the defensive line, like Cameron Heyward, who recorded four total pressures and a sack.
“I thought Derrick played very well,” Heyward said Sunday. “He’s got strong hands. I was worried about his conditioning, but he came to play today, and I think he really balanced out our group.”
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Pittsburgh’s defense is coming together at the right time and is ready to capitalize on the lower-tier quarterbacks it will face in the next three games.
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