It’s rare to put a New England Patriots rookie receiver’s name in the same sentence with the word “awareness.” Typically, the Patriots’ rookie pass-catchers are demonstrating a lack of awareness, if only because New England’s offense comes with a number of challenges for a young pass-catcher whose head is already swimming with the heightened level of skill and speed as he transitions from college to pros.

But Patriots coach Bill Belichick praised N’Keal Harry, a 2019 first-round pick, for his heady play during a Week 15 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Harry managed to score a touchdown in a moment when quarterback Tom Brady was extending the play with his legs. Harry had run his designed route, and resorted to improvisation.

“I think one of the best parts of the play was N’Keal’s awareness and his strength to stay in the field of play and not get shoved out,” Belichick said during a conference call on Monday. “N’Keal did a really good job of not getting shoved out of bounds, out of the back of the end zone, which is what the defensive back was trying to do – which is the smart play, obviously, on their part. It’s what any good defensive back would try to do, is to knock the receiver out.”

If a receiver gets knocked out of bounds during a play, he is no longer eligible to be the first person to touch the ball. If he does, it’s a penalty.

While keeping his feet in-bounds, Harry found a spot in Bengals’ defense where the defenders were not, which is a challenge in the red zone where things get crowded. Belichick said the Patriots tend to practice plays like this one in order to develop an unspoken communication of how to create and take advantage of those spaces.

“Everybody kind of went in a different direction, so we didn’t run into each other. We created space for N’Keal to come back inside,” Belichick said.

Even veteran receiver Phillip Dorsett praised Harry for his ability to catch Brady’s eye on the red zone play.

“Just have to find a way to get open. Doesn’t matter how you do it. You’ve just got to do it, whether it’s about savvy or being physical,” Dorsett told Patriots Wire when asked about Harry on Tuesday. “He’s playing with confidence. Playing fast. That comes as you play more.”

Harry’s snap count skyrocketed from two in Week 14 to 38 in Week 15, and his touches jumped from one catch for 13 yards to four touches for 37 yards and a touchdown. It’s a sign that the Patriots are forcing the issue with Harry’s development. They’ll need him to get comfortable as the No. 2 option behind Julian Edelman in the postseason. And perhaps to help Edelman (shoulder/knee) get healthy in time for the playoffs, they may even want Harry to assume a No. 1 role in the final two weeks of the season.

Gallery Ranking Bill Belichick's first-round draft picks with the Patriots view 18 images

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