New England Patriots: Duron Harmon not yet over Super Bowl loss
New England Patriots safety Duron Harmon is still trying to get over the team’s loss in Super Bowl 52 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The New England Patriots suffered a tough defeat in Super Bowl 52 at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a shocking outcome, as many people believed the Patriots would go on to win their second consecutive championship.
The Eagles, however, had different plans. With backup quarterback Nick Foles leading the way, the Eagles dismantled the Patriots defense. A unit that had been one of the better throughout the season had no answers for the Eagles offensive onslaught.
Suffering a loss in the Super Bowl is not an easy thing to overcome. Fans are disappointed, but the players are as well. One player who is struggling to get over the loss is safety, Duron Harmon.
Harmon was part of the defense that was shredded by Philadelphia. As a captain, it could hurt him a little more than some of the other players.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss caught up with Harmon after a reading to 250 elementary school kids. Harmon shares how difficult it has been to get over the loss.
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"“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about that game. I’m pretty sure everybody on our team feels the same way,” Harmon said. “The only thing you can do is just learn from it — what put us in position to lose that game and how to never do that again.”"
The Patriots have a lot to learn from that Super Bowl performance. They were unable to get stops when they needed them, as the Eagles made a play whenever they needed to.
A big part of the Patriots struggles could be because they were without cornerback Malcolm Butler. Butler was removed from the game plan, appearing on the field for only one special team snap and zero defensively.
Without Butler, Philadelphia took full advantage with the Patriots using backup players. The game plan was an odd one, as Johnson Bademosi and Jordan Richards were tabbed to play over Butler, with Eric Rowe getting the start.
Harmon shared what he learned the most from the game.
"“The main thing I’ve taken from that game is missed opportunities. Not getting off the field on third down (Eagles were 10 of 16). Not marrying up good pressure with good pass coverage. We had opportunities to get off the field, to make plays and tackles, and we didn’t do it,” he said. “You have to realize that the team that makes fewer mistakes is going to win, and they made a little bit less mistakes than us that allowed them to get the win.”"
Unfortunately, for the Patriots, they made that one mistake. The only sack of the game came on the Patriots second to last drive, as Tom Brady was sacked and fumbled. The Eagles were able to tack on a few more points and hold on for the win.
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Harmon did make one momentum-changing play, as he intercepted Foles. However, it ended up not being enough, as the Patriots would eventually lose the game to the Eagles.