Patriots rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry only played two offensive snaps against the Chiefs last Sunday and he caught the only pass thrown his way on one of the most talked about plays of the game.
Harry caught a short pass from Tom Brady and was ruled out of bounds while diving into the end zone for a 12-yard gain. Replays showed Harry never stepped out before getting into the end zone, but the Patriots were unable to challenge the ruling on the field after losing one of their two previous challenges.
Harry made that play in space and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Tuesday that he needs to find “more ways to use the things” that Harry does well.
“He’s a big guy; he’s not easy to get to the ground,” McDaniels said on a conference call. “Certainly, when you have players like that, it comes back to how can you get him the football in those situations understanding that there’s a level of diminishing returns if you try to keep doing the same things over and over again . . . So yeah, he definitely had a great individual effort. We know he’s big and not easy to tackle, and like I said, I need to do a better job of finding ways to get him in space, get him the ball and letting him have an opportunity to do those things.”
Any and all ways to make plays should be welcomed by the Patriots offense, although Harry’s overall playing time suggests figuring out the best fit is still a work in progress in New England.