What We Saw: Week 3

New England Patriots vs New York Jets

 

New England Patriots

 

Quarterbacks

 

• Tom Brady: 28/42, 306 yards, 2 touchdowns 
• Jarrett Stidham: 2/3, 14 yards, 1 interception

 

Tom Brady was his usual self today, leading several straight touchdown drives to open the game. He was less efficient as the game went on, but I would chalk this up to the game being out of hand early, and also being without his favorite target Julian Edelman for much of the game. He was still able to move the ball at will when he needed to and finished with a great fantasy day. After many counted Brady out after a down year last year, he is back with a vengeance and inserting himself into the MVP race. He is an every-week starter, but the offense may be hindered a bit without Edelman. If you’re a Brady owner, keep an eye on the Edelman situation. They get the Bills next week, but unless you have a high-quality backup, you’re rolling Brady out with confidence. Jarrett Stidham came in to spell Brady when the game was out of reach and promptly threw a pick-six, sending him back to the bench. 

 

Running Backs

 

• Sony Michel: 9 carries, 11 yards, 1 touchdown | 1 target, 0 receptions
• Rex Burkhead: 11 carries, 47 yards, 1 touchdown | 7 targets, 6 receptions, 22 yards
• Brandon Bolden: 2 carries, -2 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 21 yards

 

I’m officially worried about Sony Michel. The 1st-rounder does not look the same as he did to end last year, and it’s clear that the Patriots do not trust him as much as many thought they would coming into the season. Brandon Bolden had more targets than him, Rex Burkhead had more carries than him, and it’s fair to wonder if Michel will ever see the same volume that he saw in the playoffs last year. Without James White, Burkhead had most of the targets out of the backfield. He’s the clear passing-down back when White is not there, and it seems as though the offseason talk of Michel getting more targets was baseless. Burkhead also looked more elusive and explosive than Michel, and I would say the Patriots see him as more dependable. Although his day was salvaged by a goal-line touchdown, Michel is not an every-week starter. He had 2 cupcake matchups the past 2 weeks and was not able to do much with them. Against tougher run defenses, I believe he will struggle to be productive or see playing time at all. Burkhead is roster-able in deeper leagues as a viable bye-week fill in. 

 

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

 

• Julian Edelman: 10 targets, 7 receptions, 62 yards, 1 touchdown
• Josh Gordon: 11 targets, 6 receptions, 83 yards | 1 carry, 1 yard
• Phillip Dorsett: 7 targets, 6 receptions, 53 yards, 1 touchdown | 2 carries, 12 yards
• Jakobi Meyers: 2 receptions, 38 yards
• Ryan Izzo: 1 reception, 41 yards

 

Brady distributed the ball pretty evenly in this one, and all the receivers benefited. Antonio Brown’s absence was not felt early on, but it was when both Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon left the game with injuries. Gordon returned, but Edelman was ruled out for the rest of the game with a chest injury. Without Brown, Edelman and Gordon maintain weekly WR2 upside, with Dorsett being a risky flex play. Gordon had a few drops but also had 2 fantastic catches to make up for them. If Edelman misses time, he will be peppered with targets. Ryan Izzo got the start with Matt LaCosse inactive, but only had 1 catch. Ben Watson may be worth an add in deeper leagues if you are thin at tight end; he comes back after this upcoming game and has built-in chemistry with Brady already. I believe Watson will be immediately inserted into the starting offense when he returns. 

 

New York Jets

 

Quarterbacks

 

• Luke Falk: 12/22, 98 yards, 1 interception

 

Anyone who was hoping for a miracle game from Luke Falk was sorely disappointed, as he was under pressure all day. He was playing against one of the best defenses in the league, so it was not all his fault, but he didn’t show much pocket awareness and consistently missed open receivers. Falk was always going to be a placeholder until starter Sam Darnold returns from injury, so it’s hard to gauge the Jets offense without their starter. 

 

Running Backs

 

• Le’Veon Bell: 18 carries, 35 yards | 4 targets, 4 receptions, 28 yards
• Ty Montgomery: 2 carries, 1 yard | 1 target, 0 receptions

 

The Jets’ offensive line is atrocious. Le’Veon Bell once again commanded the lion’s share of the touches but was immediately hit in the backfield for the majority of them. Again, they were playing a great defense, so there’s no need to panic about Bell. Once Darnold comes back, defenses will have to respect the pass at least a little more, leaving more room for Bell to work with (I hope). Bell looks every bit the back he was in Pittsburgh, but is stuck in a terrible offense. However, he will still be in for mostly every snap and is getting consistent work as a receiver. Continue to fire Bell up with confidence after his bye next week. 

 

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

 

• Robby Anderson: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 11 yards
• Jamison Crowder: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 25 yards
• Braxton Berrios: 6 targets, 2 receptions, 29 yards

 

Due to the incompetence of their offensive line and quarterback, the Jets’ pass-catchers were unable to do much of anything. Targets were evenly distributed, but no one was able to make their mark. None of these wideouts are worth starting until Darnold is back, but Chris Herndon is worth stashing now. He was a big part of the offense last year and was one of Darnold’s favorite targets down the stretch. If you get ahead of the curve by adding him off waivers, you could get a startable tight end in the wasteland that is the position. I wouldn’t start anyone on the Jets besides Bell even when Darnold is back, however, until any of them prove themselves. 

 

-Ryan Comeau