New England Patriots: 5 players to watch for vs Tennessee Titans

James Harrison

Linebacker and edge rusher are two areas the Patriots have been hammered by injuries. They have been fortunate to have players such as Eric Lee step up. The Patriots were handed a real gift with the acquisition of James Harrison.

Harrison, the all-time sacks leader for the Pittsburgh Steelers, became available prior to the final game of the season. The Steelers decided to waive Harrison, and once he cleared waivers he picked the Patriots as his landing spot.

Why the Steelers would release Harrison is anyone’s guess. He wasn’t seeing the field and was reportedly frustrated so the parties eventually parted ways. Maybe age and production was a reason the Steelers parted ways with Harrison.

Whatever the reason may be, Harrison showed that he has something left in the tank. In his Patriots debut, Harrison ran amok against the Jets. Harrison dominated, recording two sacks, one tackle for loss and forcing a fumble. He accomplished all of that despite playing fewer than half the Patriots snaps on defense.

It was a great debut for Harrison, who gives the Patriots something they were lacking. We have seen him dominate in the postseason before, as he did it for the Steelers last season. Will he have the same impact on the Patriots this year?