Zach Harrison is starting to give the Atlanta Falcons more reasons to keep him involved as Harrison recovered a fumble by Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson during Atlanta's 31-23 loss, helping give the Falcons a chance to make things interesting after falling behind by 24 points early.
Sure Atlanta still came up short, but Harrison's play was another example of a defensive lineman finding ways to contribute because the recovery set up a score and ensuing two-point try that cut the deficit to just one score..
The 25-year-old has had to fight for his place in Atlanta after the Falcons waived him during roster cutdowns in August - He returned on the practice squad before earning his way back onto the active roster, and he's making the most of that opportunity.
The fumble recovery also fits with the kind of effort the Falcons have been looking for from Harrison. He's a former third-round pick who has shown he can contribute in different ways, even when he's not piling up sacks. But he's entering a contract year, and every big play will help him land a new contract.
The Falcons need Zach Harrison to keep building on his opportunity
Harrison recorded five tackles and half a sack against the Baltimore Ravens in Week after he had recorded just four tackles across his first three regular season appearances before that game.
He also made an impact against Green Bay earlier in the season. In Atlanta's 35-14 win over the Packers on September 24, Harrison played 19 defensive snaps and five special teams snaps, recording a tackle for loss and blocking a 47-yard field goal attempt from Packers kicker Trey Smack.
That blocked kick was especially important because it showed Harrison could help Atlanta outside of his normal defensive role. Head coach Kevin Stefanski pointed to the connection between blocked kicks and winning after the game.
“When you block kicks,” Stefanski said, “it’s a pretty good correlation to winning.”
Harrison has found different ways to make himself useful, and that matters for a player who had to work his way back onto Atlanta's roster.
The Ohio Satte product's path back to the active roster wasn't guaranteed. After the Falcons waived him in August, he went unclaimed and spent 20 days on the practice squad before earning a promotion. He later signed to the active roster after making an impression in his return to game action.
The experience appears to have given him a different perspective on his place in the league.
“For the first time, football was taken away - I didn’t have it,” Harrison said. “Once I got it back, I was like, ‘Man, I love it.’”
The next step is consistency. If he continues making timely plays, he could become a more reliable part of the defensive line rotation as the Falcons try to get their season back on track.
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