Patriots insider reveals Pats should steal from Ravens to wake up N’Keal Harry

Should the Patriots take a page out of Baltimore’s playbook to help reinvigorate struggling wideout N’Keal Harry?

The New England Patriots technically have nothing to play for over the final two games after they were eliminated from playoff contention last weekend. However, what about playing a little spoiler against their division rivals?

That narrative alone should get New England up for their final contests. With competitiveness and future improvement in mind, it would behoove the coaching staff to reach deep inside their bag of tricks once the unit reaches the red zone.

Patriots insider Evan Lazar actually suggested the idea of stealing from the Ravens, who have done a tremendous job at getting recently-signed wideout Dez Bryant open in the end zone over the last few games, and called for the Pats to implement a similar approach with the struggling N’Keal Harry.

Honestly, we’ll sign off on anything that isn’t a QB draw inside the five-yard line at this point in the season. Every team is aware that’s offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ go-to play call when the Patriots find themselves knocking on the door. Outside of a few successful attempts, the play almost always ends up with Cam Newton getting lit up at the point of attack.

The Patriots desperately need to add some semblance of an aerial threat inside the red zone, where they rank 29th in the NFL in terms of scoring efficiency (51.1%) this season. Taking that into account, why not try to get your most physically gifted receiver in position to make a play?

We know Harry has had his inconsistencies this season, but he has undeniably showed flashes of potential over the last couple of games. The 2019 first-round pick even went up and over his defender to make a sensational leaping grab against both the Rams and Chargers this month.

The goal line fade, as we know, has an alarmingly low success rate, but Harry is more than capable of out-jumping defensive backs and linebackers. If Newton can put the football in the right spot, we definitely want to see this play attempted at least once down the stretch.

As for the slant, we love the idea of Harry using his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame to box out his defender and haul in a touchdown. Assuming he isn’t double teamed, he should have no problem doing just that if he gets a solid burst at the line of scrimmage.

Teams around the league have been trying to take pages out of the Patriots’ playbook for years, so it’s only right that they return the favor to get their struggling second-year wideout involved in the red zone.

Patriots: Insider shares potential changes to 2021 coaching staff

A New England Patriots insider hinted at potential changes that can happen to the coaching staff prior to the start of next season.