On Saturday, Maurice Harris was promoted from the Redskins’ practice squad to their active roster.
On Sunday, he made the best catch we’ve seen all year in the NFL.
Harris’ jaw-dropping play came in the first quarter of Washington’s game against the Vikings. With the ball at the Minnesota 36-yard line, Kirk Cousins dropped back, looked deep and fired toward the front pylon of the end zone, where Harris reached out scooped an incredible catch. Refs initially ruled the play incomplete, but replay showed conclusively that Harris had pulled in the ball in bounds. The call was reversed, resulting in a 36-yard touchdown catch that you’ll see on highlight reels for a while.
CATCH OF THE YEAR??
@Maurice3Harris 😱😱 #HTTR https://t.co/YG6eSlpAiM
— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2017
That is not a play you see every day or even every season. Though Harris’ catch didn’t require quite the athleticism of Odell Beckham’s famous one-handed grab in a similar spot on the field, it might have taken more body control, considering his proximity to the sideline. Regardless where you rank it among the most impressive catches in recent history, it was clearly quite a grab.
Harris’ play seems all the more remarkable when you consider the receiver’s meager pedigree. Harris went undrafted out of Cal in 2016, then signed with the Redskins, who have waived him from their active roster several times since. Last season, he caught only eight passes for 66 yards. The touchdown grab Sunday was both his first reception of this season and the first score of his career. He certainly made it count.
