Chris Harris is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Chris Harris had gone two calendar years without giving up a receiving touchdown. But Sunday against the Steelers, Chris Harris got his lunch handed to him.
Coming into the game, the matchup between Harris and Antonio Brown seemed to be a battle between two of the game’s best, but there’s no question that this was a one-sided affair.
Antonio Brown put on an absolute clinic, catching 16 balls for 189 yards and two touchdowns; after the game, Harris took the blame for the Steelers’ comeback victory.
Chris Harris: "Last week it was the offense. This week it was me. This one is on me."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 21, 2015
He reiterated that point on Twitter.
If I play like that we gone lose . My bad #BroncosCountry Ima bounce back harder . #motivation
— Chris Harris (@ChrisHarrisJr) December 21, 2015
But that’s not fair. The truth is that Brown may just be one of the greatest wideouts to ever have played the game, and he’s going to win every single time when he’s matched up one on one versus a cornerback, no matter how great they are; if anything, the bigger question is why Wade Phillips and the Broncos coaching staff never gave Harris help all day?
Undoubtedly, the injures at safety had to have played a role.
And while Harris must be feeling like he let the team down, this was a team loss. This may have been his worst performance in years, but that doesn’t mean he’s not an elite cornerback; sometimes, special players just have special performances, and that’s what Antonio Brown did on Sunday.