New England Patriots @ New York Jets
Final Score: Patriots 15, Jets 10
Writer: Adam Nardelli (@adamnardelli on Twitter)
I’m not sure if this matchup would’ve been a fantasy bonanza regardless of the weather, but the remnants of tropical storm Ophelia undoubtedly slowed both the Patriots and Jets down at MetLife Stadium. Zach Wilson predictably struggled heavily against Bill Belichick’s defense, as the Jets didn’t even take a snap inside the red zone in the first half. Outside of one drive later in the fourth quarter, the second half was more of the same for Nathaniel Hackett’s Jets offense. The Patriots cashed in on a 58-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and that proved to be enough to scrape by for their first win of the 2023 season. From a fantasy perspective, there weren’t a ton of positives to take away, but we can always find something that may be helpful to your squad moving forward.
Three Up
- Ezekiel Elliott – Zeke was fed today, just like the old days in Dallas, keeping hope alive that he can provide some value in the fantasy world
- Kendrick Bourne– continues to look like a guy Mac Jones trusts and wants to get involved
- Garrett Wilson – You might think I’m insane, but on a day where literally nothing could go right for the Jets he somehow had a remotely decent game.
Three Down
- Breece Hall – two straight dud weeks from a guy drafted rather high in our fantasy drafts
- Dalvin Cook – lacked explosion and it appears his best days are behind him
- Rhamondre Stevenson – inefficient in the ground game and another week of no involvement in the passing game
New England Patriots
Quarterback
Mac Jones: 15/29. 201 yards, TD, 4 carries, 13 yards
On a day where at times the sky opened up on MetLife Stadium, Mac Jones did what he needed to do to not lose the game for the Patriots. He did nothing spectacular, but nothing horrendous. That might work for Bill Belichick, but it doesn’t do much in the fantasy football world. He found his third tight end, Pharaoh Brown, wide open for a 58-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Other than that most of Jones’ throws were to the short and intermediate areas of the field, making sure to not put the ball in harm’s way. It’s nothing exciting, but it’s exactly what the Patriots needed to get in the win column for the first time this season.
Running Back
Ezekiel Elliott: 16 carries, 80 yards, 1 target, 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards
Following up a disappointing week 2, the former Cowboy looked like the most efficient Patriots running back after he averaged five yards per carry. Zeke showed he still has something left in the tank, finding the holes in the Jets defensive line and helping the Patriots offense to at least sustain drives. He didn’t look the 2016 version of himself, but he was able to break off a 14-yard run on a day where explosive plays were at an extreme minimum. Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien leaned into Zeke, giving him 16 carries and relying him on to help the offense stay ahead of the chains.
Rhamondre Stevenson: 19 carries, 59 yards, 4 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards
Unlike Elliott, Stevenson was never able to get anything going on the ground, averaging just over three yards per carry. Why was Elliott able to find the running lanes when Stevenson wasn’t? That’s a concerning question for Stevenson owners. As I mentioned last week, you drafted Stevenson high in your drafts because of his involvement in the passing game, which again was nowhere to be found. The Patriots offense didn’t need to do a ton today, but they lacked explosive plays themselves for the most part. Throwing the ball to Stevenson in space could’ve helped spark the Patriots offense a bit, but that didn’t look to be an emphasis. Ezekiel Elliott’s solid day combined with another underwhelming outing from Stevenson is at least a small red flag moving forward.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Pharaoh Brown: 2 targets, 2 receptions 71 yards, TD
The Patriots third tight end (at best?) got behind the Jets defense for a wide-open 58-yard touchdown in the second quarter. If this helped you in fantasy please let me know who you are because obviously you know something I don’t. He was able to come up with another nice 13-yard reception, but for the most part Browns’s touchdown was the start and end of any significant plays from the Patriots offense. I don’t think I’m breaking any news in saying Brown’s big day is likely a one-off, considering he didn’t even register a target last week.
Kendrick Bourne: 5 targets, 5 targets, 4 receptions, 46 yards
Bourne was involved early, hauling in an 18-yard catch on third down at the end of the first quarter He had another 18-yard reception late in the fourth quarter to help keep the driving going. After having nine targets last week and then putting up 46 yards today when the New England offense was mostly contained, Bourne is clearly one of Jones’ more trusted receivers. That might not mean too much for fantasy at this point, but for a guy who has 25 targets in the first three games, he should be looked at as a guy who can at least provide a decent floor in PPR formats.
Hunter Henry: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards
Just when we thought Henry may be emerging as a viable play at tight end, he put up a stinker. Henry was shaken up late in the game, but did return on special teams. The Jets defense did a great job of limiting chunk plays to Henry in the middle of the field, which is what put him on the fantasy radar for the most part. Today may have been a sober reminder that the eight-year veteran is just another volatile option at tight end.
Mike Gesicki: 1 target, 1 reception, 18 yards
Gesicki was able to connect with Jones for a big play on 3rd down in the first quarter, indicating there may be more of an emphasis on making him part of the passing game. Gesicki was not targeted again, swallowing any hopes for the time being of the New Jersey native having fantasy relevance.
DeVante Parker: 3 targets, 2 receptions 19 yards
Parker was unable to follow up his solid week 2 performance with another high-volume week after Mac Jones barely looked his way. The good rapport with Jones from week 2 as well as any fantasy impact were put on hold against a tough Jets defense.
Juju Smith-Schuster: 3 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards
It’s early in the season, but Smith-Schuster is starting to look like one of the most disappointing free-agent signings from this past offseason. On a team where there is no dominant #1 receiver, Smith-Schuster is almost non-existent in the Patriots passing game. The three targets are even more concerning, showing there’s little to no urgency to get the seven-year veteran the ball.
New York Jets
Quarterback
Zach Wilson: 18/36, 157 yards, 1 carry, 1 yard
I think Bill Belichick wishes he could face Zach Wilson every week. Wilson and the Jets offense were completely blanketed for the vast majority of the game. The former 2nd overall pick in 2021 was mostly out of rhythm, inaccurate, and looks to lack any sort of confidence. He was able to lead the Jets on a 13-play 87-yard drive in the fourth quarter that led to their sole touchdown. The drive was highlighted by an 18-yard pass to Tyler Conklin on a 3rd & 5. Other than that and the fact that he didn’t turn the ball over, it’s really hard to find anything positive from Wilson’s performance. You have to wonder if the Jets make some sort of change at quarterback sooner rather than later.
Running Back
Breece Hall: 12 carries, 18 yards, 2 targets, 1 reception, 9 yards
It’s two straight highly disappointing weeks for Breece Hall, who was unable to find any running lanes after a 7-yard rush ended up being his longest of the day. Of course, you can’t really blame Hall since it’s easy to load the box against the Jets, but unless teams are forced to respect the Jets passing game, opponents can key in on Hall. You would’ve liked to see some more creativity in getting the ball to Hall in space, but that never happened and Hall’s fantasy managers are left wondering when the investment in him will pay off.
Dalvin Cook: 8 carries, 18 yards, 3 targets, 3 receptions, 11 yards
As I noted in the three up/three down section, it continues to look like Cook’s best days are in the past. Similar to Hall, Cook got nothing significant going in the run game. At least with Hall there is some evidence of him being able to break off big runs (83-yard run in Week 1), but with Cook there’s not much positivity to take away. Another disappointing day from Cook today has to make you think the Jets may start to phase out Cook and make Hall even more involved.
Nick Bawden: 1 carry, 1 yard, Touchdown
He’s probably not startable next week.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Garrett Wilson: 9 targets, 5 receptions, 48 yards
The fact that Wilson was able to finish the day with 48 yards is a minor miracle. 29 of those yards came on a big play during their final drive. Wilson was visibly frustrated during an animated exchange he had with his quarterback and offensive coordinator Nate Hackett on the sidelines. He knows he has the potential to do a lot more than what his quarterback is allowing him to do, but today emphasized that no matter how bad the day is going for the Jets, Wilson can find a way to be somewhat productive.
Allen Lazard: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 39 yards
Lazard hooked up with Zach Wilson for a 21 yard play on their lone touchdown drive, but was mostly kept in check otherwise. Today didn’t do anything for Lazard in putting his mark on the #2 receiver spot for the Jets.
Tyler Conklin: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 26 yards
An 18-yard catch on a 3rd down play was the highlight of Conklin’s day. It feels like it wouldn’t have been a lot to ask for one or two more decent chunk plays from Conklin, but that apparently was too much to ask for. At an ultra-thin position like tight end, the fact that he got five targets is something to be aware of as a possible streaming option in the future.
Randall Cobb: 2 targets, 1 reception, 12 yards
CJ Uzomah: 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards
Michael Carter: 1 target, 1 reception, 3 yards