Thursday morning, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon said he was “optimistic” he could return to game action Monday. By Thursday afternoon, some external optimism waned when Harmon was not at practice.
The Steelers’ rookie first-round pick, Harmon has missed the past two games because of a knee injury.
“I’m really just trying to take it day-by-day, and once my number is called, getting back out there,” Harmon said. “I’m kind of getting impatient, but this is part of the game.”
Harmon’s NFL debut was delayed earlier this fall by a knee injury suffered during the preseason finale. He had played in each of his college teams’ 38 games the past three seasons at Michigan State and Oregon.
“For me, it’s kind of tough because I haven’t been the type of guy that got injured a lot, then I come to the NFL, and it’s happened twice in my rookie year,” Harmon said. “It’s kind of hard, but it’s part of the game. I’ve got to stay optimistic and stay the course.”
Harmon said this knee injury — apparently suffered during a Nov. 23 loss at the Chicago Bears — is not related to the one suffered during a Aug. 21 preseason game in Carolina. But each is to the same (right) knee.
Though Harmon is only a rookie, he has started each of the Steelers’ past four games he played. The numbers suggest Harmon is central to the team’s rushing defense: In the nine games he has played, the Steelers allow 96.0 rushing yards per game. In the four he has missed, that number almost doubles (191.3).
“I try not to look into that, man,” Harmon said when alerted of this. “When I’m playing games, I play my best ball and help the team win.”
Harmon could be of use to the Steelere because Monday’s opponent, the Miami Dolphins, has the NFL’s No. 8 rushing offense (126.4 yards per game). Miami’s De’Von Achane is the individual league leader in yards per carry (5.8).
The Steelers have allowed 466 rushing yards over the past two games, but Harmon sees signs the unit is coming together.
“Truthfully, I feel like, as a unit, as a defense, we’re playing together, we’re doing our jobs together, guys are doing our assignments,” he said. “We’ve really just got to continue to do it at a high level.”
