Week Three is in the books! With two games played since my last post and another on the horizon, there is a lot to talk about. Before we dive into the headlines of Week Four, here is a quick synopsis of Weeks Two and Three.
Week Two: Patriots Vs. Dolphins
I may have predicted that the Patriots would win this game because of the favorable matchups, but long story short…they didn’t. A final score of 24-17 however, isn’t too bad considering how potent the Dolphins’ offense has been this season. Why isn’t that bad? Well, 24 points is pretty good compared to the 70 the Broncos let the Dolphins score last Sunday. The Patriots’ defense played very well this game and successfully shut down Tyreek Hill’s “big play” attribute. As usual, the offense left something to be desired but they had their moments and had a chance to tie the game up late in the fourth quarter once again. Mac Jones continues to prove competent, but may be lacking in the “clutch gene”.
Week Three: Patriots Vs. Jets
Back in the win column! After falling to 0-2 the Patriots really needed to pull this game out. The final score of 15-10 illustrates a low-scoring defensive battle between two premiere defensive units. Both offenses struggled to get going, but a 58-yard strike to tight end Pharaoh Brown was the difference maker. Rookie first-round pick, Christian Gonzalez, continued to shine at cornerback and held New York’s elite wide receiver, Garrett Wilson, to only 48 yards. My reaction to the game: offense, please be better. The Patriots will need to figure out how to score points if they are going to hang with some of the tougher teams on their schedule.
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Zeke Revenge Tour?
The Patriots Week Four matchup is the Dallas Cowboys, a talented but inconsistent team. This matchup has a little bit of drama sprinkled in. Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott will be facing his former team for the first time since being released earlier this year. Along with the extra chip on his shoulder, Elliott is coming off a very solid performance last week (16 carries for 80 yards) and has been seeing reps as a starter at practice this week.
Rhamondre Stevenson has not been very effective carrying the ball this year–averaging only 2.9 yards per carry–so this week may see a changeup in who gets more snaps and carries. Bad news for fantasy owners of Stevenson, good news for Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott may be in for a big game this week, hopefully, one that includes getting one-up on his former team. Let him eat!
The Cowboys are coming off a rather embarrassing loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals, so they will look to bounce back. Hype surrounds this team every year, but they always seem to disappoint. Dallas is considered to have one of the most talented defenses in the league, and their offense is no joke either. Christian Gonzalez should give elite receiver CeeDee Lamb a good battle and if the Patriots’ offense can find ways to exploit the defense just like Arizona did last week, there is a good chance a 2-2 record is in their future.
Mac Jones Avoids a Fine
On a less positive note, Mac Jones was accused by Jets CB Sauce Gardner of hitting him “below the belt” during a small tussle after a play last Sunday. Unfortunately, Jones already has a “dirty player” narrative surrounding him after some questionable antics last season. Nothing has been obvious and Jones has denied doing things to harm other players in the past, but some have accused him of purposely falling or getting up in ways that put opposing players in harm’s way. It’s getting harder and harder to write off all of these instances as just coincidence. Sauce Gardner accused Mac Jones of some fine-worthy extracurricular actions, but video evidence was not enough to prove Jones did anything malicious. Thus, Mac Jones avoided a fine, but his reputation continues to be questioned.
Posting this so I don’t get fined lol pic.twitter.com/2KjcAVTNsW
— SAUCE GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) September 25, 2023
Above is the video of the incident. I’ll let you be the judge. (Source)
Oh boy, I saw the score of that cowboys game. That’s rough. They need to restructure their offense somehow because Dallas brick walled them. Sometimes one team really accentuates another’s weakness in just a brutal way. It puts it into worse frame to know Zeke couldn’t perform against his old team.
That Cowboys game really exposed some of the flaws in the offense. Mac Jones didn’t look too great, and Bill Belichick’s face said it all after the pick-six. That loss of Jakobi Meyers seems to make an impact on the WR core, but perhaps Juju can improve on his performances and become that WR1 that everyone has desperately wanted to see. Perhaps the Saints next week will provide a bounce-back opportunity for the team.