N'Keal Harry Makes Three Catches In Long-Awaited Patriots Debut
BOSTON (CBS) -- Patriots rookie N'Keal Harry made his much-anticipated NFL debut in Sunday's 17-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, and the 21-year-old found himself taking up a pretty big role in the offense. Much more than anyone could have foreseen.
Harry started his rookie season on IR and did not see the field in the first game he was eligible to play two weeks ago, so the safe bet was to go into Sunday's game with tempered expectations for the 21-year-old. But after playing seven scattered snaps in the first half, the first-round pick had a much heavier workload over the final 30 minutes. Harry played 32 snaps overall on Sunday, thrust into a bigger role in the second half after Phillip Dorsett left with a head injury. Harry played every offensive snap after Dorsett got hurt on his third-quarter touchdown reception, a solid workload for a rookie making his debut.
"It was great to finally be out there [and] see what it's like," Harry told reporters after New England's victory. "Got a lot to work on, but I'm excited moving forward."
Harry spent most of his time on the weak side, but also took a few snaps out of the slot. Tom Brady sent four passes Harry's way during his 32 snaps, with the rookie catching three of them for 18 yards. His first NFL catch came in the second quarter, an 11-yard snag on a second-and-10 play that moved the chains for New England.
While the offense didn't do much of anything, much to the chagrin of Brady, Harry handling his heavy workload was a promising aspect of the game for New England's struggling offense. He still has a long way to go to earn his spot in Brady's circle of trust, but Sunday was a good first step. If Dorsett is forced to miss time with his injury, the rookie could find himself with another heavy workload next weekend when the Patriots host the Dallas Cowboys at Gillette.
