When Cam Newton needed a touchdown that would deliver the dagger in the Patriots’ season-opener, he went to N’Keal Harry. But that play didn’t go as New England planned. Harry fumbled on the 1-yard line, and the ball bounced through the end zone for a touchback. New England would go on to win the game, but Harry’s gaffe was a blemish.
In Week 2, the story was just the opposite. The Patriots lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 35-30, but Harry’s ability to deliver in the clutch was as impressive as it was unexpected. Newton, who had defended Harry after the Week 1 fumble, targeted Harry four times for three catches and 42 yards on the team’s final drive, which stalled at the 1-yard line as time expired. Harry was a key ingredient in setting up what could’ve been a game-winning rush from Newton on the goal line.
Ultimately, Newton’s run went for a loss on the final play of the game. But that drive was one of the most encouraging sequences for Harry, a 2019 first-round pick, in his young NFL career.
“[N’Keal] has grown in front of everyone’s eyes. For him to gain confidence in himself, I think that’s a start,” Newton told reporters on Sunday after the game. “And I think that’s what he’s doing. I think today’s game was a great indication of that and what he could potentially be. Yet through it all, he still has to keep building to become the best version of himself.”
Harry finished the game with 12 targets, eight receptions and 72 yards on 61 snaps (85% of the offensive snaps). One of his catches came on a fourth-and-3 when Harry gained 13 yards. His final catch, a 12-yarder, put the Patriots on the 1-yard line. It was a career-high in every category as Harry’s 2020 reception and receiving yards numbers in two weeks have already eclipsed his total in 2019 when he played eight games.
“I think N’Keal is a tough guy,” Belichick said after the game. “I think our team took a big step in terms of just the competition and the way we battled and competed against Seattle. I was just disappointed that we came up short but the competitive level is high, we just have to coach better, play better and get things a little bit different.”
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