The Patriots didn’t lose solely because of Damien Harris on Sunday, and James White wanted to make sure his fellow New England running back knew that.
Harris committed a costly turnover later in the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ Week 1 matchup with the Dolphins. The third-year pro fumbled on a first-and-10 at Miami’s 9-yard line as New England trailed the visitors by one with less than four minutes to play. The Patriots offense never returned to the field, as the ‘Fins were able to run out the clock en route to a 17-16 win at Gillette Stadium.
Speaking with the media after the game, White revealed what he told Harris following the 24-year-old’s critical error.
“Yeah, I talked to him,” White told reporters, per a team-provided transcript. “Obviously, one play isn’t the reason why we lost the football game. There were many plays that we left out there and that’s what I told him. He played a very good football game aside from that and he’s a great player. He has a lot of talent. He’s going to keep competing. I told him it’s a long season to go and we’re going to need him, so he’s got to keep his head up.”
Staying down shouldn’t be an issue for Harris, who made it clear he won’t let the fumble define him. The 2019 third-rounder is ready to move forward, and the Patriots will need him to do just that as another divisional contest awaits in Week 2.
