There weren’t many positives to take away from the New England Patriots’ 28-22 loss against the Houston Texans. There were glaring issues in all three phases of the game and the team collectively struggled to keep pace with Deshaun Watson.
One player that struggled in specific was rookie receiver N’Keal Harry, who failed to reel in a reception. It was Harry’s third game of NFL action and he saw a significant decrease in snaps after Tom Brady threw an interception in the first quarter that was intended for him. Harry saw only ten snaps the rest of the game after that play, and it was his only target of the game.
There’s been a lack of trust between Brady and his receivers this season, and it’s becoming a real issue for the Patriots. Brady was asked on Monday morning if the Patriots were freezing Harry and some of the receivers out, and he quickly denied it.
Bill Belichick was asked the same question while on WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni and Fauria”.
“That definitely wasn’t it,” Belichick said. “As the game unfolded you try and do the things that are working for you, the things that are most successful, and try and build on those. That is what we try to do, that is what we usually do do, I would say. Look, there were plenty of mistakes in that game to go around. Everyone (made them). It is not any one player. Even though you may try to pinpoint somebody, that’s definitely not the case. We all have to do a better job — players, coaches.”
Through 13 weeks of the season, it’s clear that Brady only trusts Julian Edelman and James White. Mohamed Sanu, Phillip Dorsett and Jakobi Meyers have gained a little more trust than Harry, but there’s no real cohesion within the group.
Brady spoke about the expectations for this team after the game on Monday, and this receiver corps isn’t living up to the standard.
“We’re learning as we go and by no means — we’re not 2-10, we’re 10-2,” Brady said. “And I know there’s very high expectations as there are for us. I think the expectations for our team often are at a very, very, very high level and I understand that, but at the same time I think there are realistic expectations with our circumstances incorporating different elements, and players and injuries. We’re just trying to do the best we can do.”
The Patriots have less than a week to figure out these issues and prepare for a Kansas City Chiefs team that will come marching into Foxborough.
