Return of the ‘Snacks’? Damon Harrison is ready to play. Will Seahawks call him up?
Finally, almost a month after they signed him, the Seahawks believe “Snacks” is ready to devour run blocker and ball carriers.
But will former All-Pro defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison indeed make his debut for Seattle (5-1) Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers (4-3)?
“Without question, he had his best week,” coach Pete Carroll said following the team’s light practice Friday, of the 350(-plus)-pound veteran who hasn’t played in 10 months. “He’s needed the weeks to get going. This was the best he’s looked, and he was really moving around well.
“So he’s working to get himself back in there.”
Stopping short of saying Harrison is playing Sunday is coaching gamesmanship for the consumption of 49ers, who love to run the ball and throw off the run. The Niners used play-action passes on 61% of their throws last week while routing the Patriots in New England, 33-6.
The Seahawks signed Harrison, who last played for Detroit to be a run stuffer and stopper in the middle of a defensive line that lost a tackle this week. Seattle waived Anthony Rush.
Harrison last played in December for the Lions before his contract with them expired at the end of the 2019 season.
He turns 32 next month.
When he arrived to begin practicing with the Seahawks the first week of October, he gave new meaning to his listed weight of 350 pounds.
Now, after three weeks of getting into football shape, Harrison has a new number (he switched from 78 to 59). And he appears to his new coach to be in shape to play.
But he’s still on Seattle’s practice squad. It will take the Seahawks calling up Harrison by Saturday’s league deadline of 1 p.m. for him to be eligible to play against the 49ers.
It’s why they signed him, to stop the run. The 49ers love to do that, even with their many injuries at running back.
“This week would make you think that he’s ready to come back and play,” Carroll said, staying coy.
“The first couple weeks, that wasn’t the case. He was just getting work, back in shape. He’s lost some weight. He looks a lot better moving around. He’s on his stuff. He knows what he’s doing. So...I’m really fired up that he’s competing to get on the field right now.”
When he does debut, Carroll said he will be fully in the defensive-line rotation among starting tackles Jarran Reed and Poona Ford, on early, run downs, that is.
Reed has talked how excited he is to play next to Harrison, to learn the veteran’s tricks of line play.
Linebacker Bobby Wagner believes Harrison will make his job behind the defensive line easier because Harrison can eat up blockers, keeping them off of Wagner so the All-Pro can make tackles more easily and closer to the line of scrimmage.
When he does debut, Harrison will become the third former or current All-Pro on a Seattle defense that is ranked last in the league in yards allowed and passing yards allowed. The Seahawks have allowed the most yards through six games in NFL history.
Wagner has been steaming all week over that.
Fellow All-Pro and safety Jamal Adams is questionable to play against the 49ers. Adams hasn’t played since he strained his groin Sept. 27 against Dallas.
“This week or next week, he’s ready to play...there would be no play count on him,” Carroll said of Harrison.
“But he’s a situational player. He does a great job inside tying things up. So when we can get to him...our guys are doing OK in there and battling. We don’t have any issues rotation-wise, right now.
“But he’s really made a big step forward this week.”
