Coach Bill Belichick is 'sure' that Damien Harris will recover from his late fumble in the Patriots' defeat to the Dolphins.
That need for improvement was clear all over the field, not only in Harris' ball security, in contrast to head coach Bill Belichick's reaction.
"That's something we preach. It is the classic thing you wouldn't expect, giving the God damn game away," Fears said Tuesday.
Fears added, though, per USA Today: "I feel confident Damien (Harris) will step up to the plate with this. I really do. We have not had a problem with him."
With approximately 3 minutes left in the game, Harris was about to put the finishing touches on one of his best career games when he was stripped by Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard inside the Dolphins' 10-yard line. At the time, the Patriots were down 17-16 and needed only a chip shot field goal to take the lead.
Although this would have given Dolphins second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa plenty of time to respond, it was still the worst way for Harris to end his fourth career 100-yard game (23-100). The Patriots' eight penalties for 84 yards in losses were also to blame, as was Harris' fumble, which was one of the team's four on the day.
"There's a lot of things all of us could have done better in the game," Belichick said afterward.
For his part, Harris said he wouldn't let the blunder define him, noting that he still has 16 games to make amends.
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