PHILADELPHIA — New England Patriots 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry officially is active for his first NFL game.
Harry spent the first eight weeks of the 2019 season on injured reserve. He was inactive Week 9 in the first game he was eligible to play. Now, after the Patriots’ bye week, Harry is set to make his NFL debut against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Here’s who the Patriots made inactive in Week 11:
S Patrick Chung (heel/chest)
RB Damien Harris (hamstring)
WR Gunner Olszewski (ankle/hamstring)
OT Korey Cunningham
TE Ryan Izzo
QB Cody Kessler
DT Byron Cowart
— With Chung out, safeties Duron Harmon and Terrence Brooks will take on bigger roles. Cornerbacks Jonathan Jones and JC Jackson also could play more snaps than usual. The Patriots might elect to have cornerback Stephon Gilmore match up with Eagles tight end and top pass-cather Zach Ertz with wide receiver Alshon Jeffery out. Chung could have been the choice to take on Ertz if he was healthy. Someone still will need to cover Eagles No. 2 tight end Dallas Goedert. Rookie cornerback Joejuan Williams, who’s 6-foot-4, 211 pounds, is active and would be an interesting choice to handle the role on a limited basis.
— Harris didn’t make the trip to Philly. Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead and Brandon Bolden will be the Patriots’ running backs.
— Harry, Jakobi Meyers, Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett, Mohamed Sanu and Matthew Slater are active at wide receiver.
— Cunningham is inactive, as usual. The Patriots will dress left tackle Marshall Newhouse, left guard Joe Thuney, center Ted Karras, right guard Shaq Mason, right tackle Marcus Cannon and reserves James Ferentz and Jermaine Eluemunor on their offensive line. Left tackle Isaiah Wynn is eligible to return to the active roster next week.
— Tight end Matt LaCosse will play for the first time since Week 6, when he injured his knee. It will be interesting to see if LaCosse or Ben Watson plays more snaps.
— Rookie Jarrett Stidham will continue to back up Tom Brady at quarterback.
— With Eagles running back Jordan Howard out, the Patriots will go with a lighter defensive rotation with Cowart out. The Eagles are left with Miles Sanders, Boston Scott and Jay Ajayii at running back. Ajayii signed Friday and hasn’t practiced with the Eagles since last season.
