Rodney Harrison knows a thing or two about walking the fine line between being a physical player and a dirty one.
The hard-hitting safety tried to tightrope that line throughout his fifteen year NFL career. Harrison believes new Dolphins coach Dan Campbell is trying to instill this physical mentality in his players, and thinks it's a cause for concern among Patriots fans.
“If you don’t believe in that guy, you’re not going to play hard for him. And that’s how a lot of guys are,” Harrison said on WEEI this afternoon. “I believe Dan Campbell comes in instantly, he has credibility, they respect him, they know he played the game, and he came in with a no-nonsense attitude and he said, ‘Hey, guys, I know what we’re going to do. We’re not going to play dirty, but we’re going to play close to that line as possible.’ And you saw what (defensive end Olivier) Vernon did to (Titans quarterback Marcus) Mariota — hit him low.
"Ndamukong Suh has a reputation for being dirty. Cameron Wake is their best pass rusher. So if I’m concerned about anything, I’m concerned about Tom Brady taking a cheap shot from one of these guys.”
It wouldn't be the first time that a questionable tackle has sidelined the franchise quarterback. A low hit from the Chiefs Bernard Pollard tore Brady's ACL in Week 1 in 2008, and cost him the rest of the season.