Harry, Meyers on ball
Young WRs impressive in opener
DETROIT — Tom Brady wasn’t pulling the trigger on the passes, but it was still an impressive coming out party for the Patriots young gun receivers.
Rookies N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers, who have stood out in practice sessions of late, once again showed off their athleticism and ability to make plays in last night’s 31-3 rout of the Lions in the preseason opener for both teams.
Before limping off after one of his catches, Harry made a pair of memorable plays down the sideline. They were the kind of plays the Patriots were hoping to get when Bill Belichick made him the first wide receiver chosen in the first round during his tenure.
Harry showcased those talents, first extending to make a nice grab on a Brian Hoyer throw in the opening quarter. The Patriots were facing third-and-10 on the Lions 23 and were able to move the chains thanks to the wideout stretching his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame to haul in the football.
That set up Hoyer’s 12yard touchdown pass to Maurice Harris. On the next series, Harry once again made some noise, making a contested catch down the left side line. He went up and pulled down another Hoyer pass, leaving Jamal Agnew in his wake. It went for a 25yard gain, but Harry walked off the field with a noticeable limp after trying to line up for the next play.
He was tended to by the Patriots medical staff, and watched the rest of the half
from the sidelines. He didn’t come out for the second half. Basically, Meyers took the baton from Harry after he left in the first quarter. The undrafted rookie out of North Carolina State scored two touchdowns.
In the first half alone, Meyers had five catches for 52 yards and a pair of scores, one from Hoyer, the other from rookie Jarrett Stidham, who entered the game late in the second quarter. Meyers wound up with six receptions for 69 yards, leading both teams.
The Patriots receivers, as a whole, had a productive night, but Harry and Meyers were the stars. There’s been a lot written about the duo lately, and both delivered with strong efforts, right on cue.
The Patriots greatly need an infusion of young talent at the position, and as first impressions go, this was certainly encouraging, Harry’s injury notwithstanding.
It’s one thing to show off and make all of these highlight reel plays during practice sessions. It’s another to bring it to the games. Last night, in the first preseason tilt, the dynamic duo brought it to the game.
Granted, the Lions starters weren’t in the mix playing defense. And, as noted earlier, Brady wasn’t the quarterback delivering the football. So you have to pump the brakes a little bit. Still, this was a good sign.
Meyers consistently got open, and the quarterbacks hit him in stride. There was no need for any of his patented acrobatic catches. He just ran crisp routes, hit the right spot, and the ball was delivered. Harry did land higher on the degree of difficulty scale for his catches, but when you’re headed down the sideline, that’s almost expected.
With Brady watching intently on the sideline, their efforts had to put a smile on his face. He’s going to need all the help he can get beyond Julian Edelman.
While Edelman remains out nursing his broken thumb, when he returns, the receiving corps can’t be relying on him alone. If some of the rookies emerge, defenses won’t be able to just focus on Edelman.
Seeing Harry and Meyers continue to progress, continue to make plays in their first game was promising for the future. Obviously, Harry will be monitored in the coming days. He seemed to injure his right hamstring earlier in the week during joint practices, but after being worked out by the trainers, continued on in a limited capacity. He might have tweaked that last night. The Pats will want to keep him healthy going forward, and not have the injury linger.
Braxton Berrios, a sixthround pick in 2018, also chipped in, getting open at a few key points. He also made a bunch of plays, finishing with three catches for 45 yards. He’s another young player who stood out.
While it’s still early, and one game doesn’t make a career, it sure looks like the Pats might have some help for their quarterback.