Jarran Reed ‘can’t wait’ to see Damon Harrison on field, says its time for Seahawks defense to ‘get it rolling’
It may be tough to name a comparison for new Seahawks defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison, but here’s what Jarran Reed quickly learned about Seattle’s imposing defensive addition.
“He is a very large person. Very large,” Reed said Wednesday afternoon on a Zoom call with reporters.
Harrison, the 6-foot-3, 350-pound former All-Pro the Seahawks signed on Oct. 7, has yet to make his Seattle debut, but count Reed among those looking forward to it whenever it happens.
“He’s very big,” Reed reiterated. “I can’t wait to get him on the field.”
Harrison remained on the practice squad for the Seahawks’ Week 5 thriller against the Vikings before the bye week as the team further evaluated his progress — he hasn’t played in a game since December with the Lions — but the excitement level surrounding Harrison goes beyond size.
He’s a “savvy veteran,” Reed said of Harrison, who is entering his ninth season in the league.
“Somebody who knows the game, knows what’s going on,” Reed said.
Reed said Harrison will come in and play fast, bolstering a Seahawks defense that is still looking for growth despite the first 5-0 start in franchise history.
“It’s good playing with Poona (Ford),” he said. “Playing with ‘Snacks’ just adds another boost of confidence.”
The Seahawks’ defense could use a bit of a boost. In their first five games, they allowed 471.2 yards per game, 14 touchdowns and struggled to consistently pressure opposing offenses.
Knowing they have room for improvement, Reed said he shared a video with his teammates of the Super Bowl-winning defense of the 2013 season before Seattle’s game against Minnesota to show what a dominant defense looks like.
“I just told them, we have to be dominant,” Reed said. “We’ve got to stop giving up so many explosive plays, make plays in the backfield, just be a defense that is respected.”
Reed said he feels like this Seahawks defense can be dominant — and it will need to in the coming weeks as Seattle beings its NFC West schedule. The Seahawks open division play Sunday against the Cardinals in Arizona.
“It’s time to get it rolling,” Reed said. “Now is when the real ball starts.”
The Seahawks are the only undefeated team remaining in the league, with division rivals Arizona (4-2), Los Angeles (4-2) and San Francisco (3-3) each collecting multiple losses the first six weeks.
But, the Cardinals won’t be an easy test after thumping both the winless Jets and Dallas the past two weeks.
“They’re electric,” Reed said of Arizona’s offense. “They’re on point right now. They had a great game against Dallas. They’re on fire. They’re clicking together. … They’ve got some weapons, but I’m excited to play these guys. It will be a real great game.”
The Seahawks’ defense will face quarterback Kyler Murray — who leads all NFL passers in rushing yards (370) and rushing touchdowns (six) — league-leading receiver DeAndre Hopkins (601 yards, two TDs) and a top-five running back in Kenyan Drake (478 yards, four TDs).
How can they contain Arizona’s explosive offense and its speedy quarterback?
“We just need to do our job,” Reed said. “Handle our job and do what we’re supposed to do.”
