In Case You Hadn't Noticed, Damien Harris is One of the Best RBs in Football

Elise Amendola. Shutterstock Images.

Yesterday LeGarrette Blount spoke proudly about the running back position, said that it's been undervalued and underpaid for too long in the NFL, and I don't disagree with him one iota. Sure, teams with top tier passing attacks have managed to get by with JAGs at times. Before Blount came to New England, the Patriots ran for years with a collection of replaceable castoffs and UDFAs. And there was always another Ben Jonas Grey-Lewis coming along when the previous one wore out or got paid elsewhere. But there's always been a place in the game for an elite back. Those special talents who can be more than just a complementary piece to the air game, but can truly be a bellcow and the focal point of an offense that makes it easier for everyone else around him. So no argument there.

Where I disagree with Blount is where he went on to say that neither Philly or New England has ever replaced him. I'll leave it to others to speak for the Eagles, but the Patriots not only won a Super Bowl with Sony Michel as their most effective postseason offensive weapon (112 YPG, 6 TDs), right now they might very well be in the early stages of developing Damien Harris into as good a back as they've had since Corey Dillon's one great season in 2004. And while it's early yet, the statistics, the advanced statistics, the analytics, the Xs, the Os, and your lyin' eyes all seem to be pointing out that this guy has the potential to be as good as anyone they've had since Curtis Martin.

First, the statistics. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Harris had three 100 yard rushing games in his first six of being the Patriots main running back ("starter" is an outdated term), something no other Patriot has ever done. He's now up to eight career games, and has been over 5.0 YPA five times, and over 5.5 in four of those. 

Let's compare those numbers to one of the most highly graded draft prospects at the position any of us has ever seen at the start of his career:

On the season he's averaging 5.1 YPA, which puts him at fourth in the league among all backs with more than 100 carries. 

On the advanced statistics front, he's done this despite unfavorable conditions not many other backs have to face. According to Next Gen Stats, Harris faces an 8+ man box more than anyone else in the league. An astonishing 44.55% of the time. To put that into context, behind him his Carolina's Mike Davis at 36.51%, a difference of 8.04%. That a bigger gap than exists between No. 2 Davis and No. 10 Wayne Gallman of the Giants. 

Here is that concept in photo form:

In terms of analytics, make of Pro Football Focus's methods what you will. And there is some subjectivity there I'm sure. But they don't just consider Harris good. Right now they have him graded as nothing less than the best RB in the league in 2020.

Purely as a rusher, they've got him second only to Derrick Henry and ahead of Dalvin Cook, who are No. 1 & 2 in the league in rushing yards by a mile and have more than twice as many carries as Harris.

In terms of Xs & Os, he's had to adapt his role since Rex Burkhead was lost for the season, no longer just being back in the "I" and following Jakob Johnson blocks, but lining up next to James White in the 2 back "Pony" formation. And doing the dirty work of what's required of that as well.

But more importantly, he's doing what they hoped he'd do when they drafted him out of Nick Saban's Running Back Birthing Unit.

Keep feeding Damien Harris, indeed. If this Patriots team as it's currently constituted is going to make a jump for the floating, spinning gold coin that is that seventh playoff spot, it's going to be carried there in his hands, and thanks to his feet. He only carried the ball 14 times last week after just 11 times the week before. And Josh McDaniels is out of his mind if he doesn't give one of - and according to PFF, THE - best back in the game every chance to carry this team into the postseason.