Patriots RB Damien Harris Healthy, Ready To Run vs. Bears?

Harris, who has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 5, is expected to play for the Patriots on Monday night against the Chicago Bears.

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots depth chart at running back appears to be receiving some reinforcements in time for its Monday night matchup with the Chicago Bears.

Judging by his removal from Saturday’s injury and practice participation report, Patriots running back Damien Harris is expected to play for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury in the first quarter of the Patriots 29-0 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 5.

Originally, Harris was thought to be sidelined for “multiple weeks.” However, the Alabama product remained present on the practice field, displaying better movement with each passing day. Though he was ultimately inactive for the Pats Week 6 game against the Cleveland Browns, Harris has not missed a practice since incurring the injury on Oct. 9.

Unsurprisingly, the 25–year-old is looking forward to returning to the field.

“I’ve just been doing everything I can every single day to get back out there as fast as I can,” Harris told reporters via video conference on Saturday. “Things are going well. I’m feeling a lot better. This has been my mindset to do everything I can.”

Harris has appeared in five games for the Patriots, thus far in 2022, running for 257 yards on 57 carries (4.5 yards-per-rush) and three touchdowns. However, he may have some competition for the role of lead back upon his return.

For the past two weeks, second-year rusher Rhamondre Stevenson has taken on the feature duties. In short, the former Oklahoma Sooner has performed brilliantly. After running for a career-high 161 yards in relief of Harris in Week 5, Stevenson saw the field for 86 percent of the Patriots plays against the Browns in Week 6; carrying the ball 19 times for 76 yards, with his longest coming on a 31-yard run in which he found a back-end seam to power ahead for his first rushing touchdown of 2022. Stevenson is proving himself more-than-capable of carrying the load as New England’s top option at the position.

Still, Harris’ experience and performance over the past two seasons presents a strong case, as well. In 2021, he enjoyed his most productive season; rushing for 959 yards on 211 carries. Harris finished second in the league with 15 rushing touchdowns while catching 19 passes for 139 yards.

Despite some ball security issues early in his career, Harris has continuously improved his confidence and experience, running for both power and finesse. When given the space to maneuver, the Alabama product is capable of breaking for significant yardage. He can also be a factor when receiving out of the backfield, a trait which he exhibited during his days at Alabama.

Harris' skill set, leadership and enthusiasm has made him a favorite among his teammates, as well as the fanbase. Accordingly, his positivity allowed him to avoid buying into a timetable for his recovery.

“I was just more focused on progressing, not how much time it would take or how long,” Harris said. “I knew my body would tell me when it’s ready.”

While Stevenson’s emergence has given Harris some friendly competition at the position, it has also provided him with a more-than-capable partner in the Pats offensive backfield. With a healthy tandem of Stevenson and Harris, New England has a chance to run the ball with great effectiveness on Monday night. Chicago is entering the game with the 29th-ranked rush defense, allowing 163 yards per game and 24th in yards per attempt (4.8 average).

In recent weeks, the Pats have taken more of a ‘back to basics’ feeling with their offense, utilizing pulling guards and gap runs to kick start their running game. With improved blocking along the offensive line, offensive play-caller Matt Patricia has found a formula which should help the Pats find success Chicago’s defenisve front, which features interior linemen Justin Jones, Angelo Blackson, Al-Quadin Muhammad and defenisve end Robert Quinn.

Though Harris is likely to be on a proverbial ‘pitch-count’ during Monday night’s contest, he will look to seize his opportunities when presented. After all, he is currently playing in the final year of his rookie deal. As such, Harris is keenly aware that career longevity is not often attributed to NFL running backs. As a result, some teams (including the Patriots) are hesitant to sign players at the position to lucrative, multi-year deals.

Despite his need to perform at a high level, Harris remains both enthusiastic and motivated to be the best he can be on the field. Regardless of his statistical output, the Pats will be happy to have no. 37 back in their backfield for Week 7.

Kickoff for the Patriots and Bears on Monday Night Football is set for 8:15 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium. 

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots

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