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The New England Patriots escaped Houston with a win, beating the Texans with a final score of 25-22 after a strong second-half rally. Before their successful comeback, however, they had plenty of forgettable moments on both sides of the ball.
Three of them involved their leading running back, Damien Harris. Although Harris finished the day with 58 rushing yards and one touchdown on 14 carries, he also lost another fumble in the red zone and also had to leave the game twice due to injury.
According to one of Harris’ teammates, however, he should move on.
“He’ll be fine,” running back Rhamondre Stevenson said at his post-match press conference. “I mean, he’s a tough guy. He can weather any storm, so I don’t really care. I know he’s not really too worried about it. I know he’ll just go back to work and get his body back [and] do whatever he has to do.
Stevenson, who was on an active game day for just the second time in his young career, helped fill the void following Harris’ two starts. The fourth-round rookie finished the game with 11 carries for 23 yards. These numbers don’t stand out, but they are a step in the right direction for the youngster.
As for the man in front of him on the depth map, he will stay in the spotlight until next week.
The Patriots are expected to return to the training grounds on Tuesday, with the first injury report of the week released a day later. Damien Harris will be a player to watch on both occasions, despite Stevenson’s encouraging injury update following Sunday’s game.
Harris first left the game against the Texans in the third quarter with a chest problem. He also left the field in the fourth period with a rib injury.
This second illness saw him stay on the ground after an 8-yard run (which was later overruled by an offensive restraint penalty) and cautiously leave the field in the presence of Patriots training staff. Harris left for the locker room and although “only” was labeled as questionable to return, he did not return to the game.
Considering the 24-year-old’s importance to the Patriots’ offensive operation, his status deserves close scrutiny. That said, it looks like he and the team may have dodged a bullet on Sunday.
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