In a 33-0 blowout against the New York Jets, there wasn’t much to complain about from New England on this night.
It was hard picking a duds list, so this list may be slightly nit-picky, as just about everyone from New England played well. Here are the three best and the three worst players from Monday night.
Stud: Jakobi Meyers
One of the more controversial receivers on the Patriots judging by the fan base, some people that love Meyers and others who don’t think he’s that good at all. The truth is, both may have points. Meyers was undrafted, so as far as not being as talented as the other no. three receivers around the league, there is a point to be made. On the other hand, you have to love any un-drafted player who immediately makes an impact on the team.
Meyers caught all five of his targets for 47 yards and was a serviceable number two receiver. With the addition of Sanu, he won’t be asked to continue to do that, but he played a valuable role last night.
Dud: Sony Michel
I know what you’re thinking, how can anyone who scores three touchdowns be considered a dud? The problem with Michel this season is people have been too caught up in his fantasy numbers when he has had good games. The three touchdowns are great, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. We know Michel can punch it in when given three chances from the goal-line, or running a misdirection play from the six-yard line.
Michel, however, failed once again to show any type of explosiveness, averaging less than 2.5 yards-per-carry. He also dropped a screen pass that Brady delivered right to his chest from only three yards away. If Michel can’t pick up chunk yards on the ground or through the air, what real role does he play in this offense? We’ve seen both Rex Burkhead and Brandon Bolden manage to have success as a goal-line back, leaving not much that separates Michel from the pack. A game filled with 1-3 yard carries puts Michel on the dud list.
Stud: Stephon Gilmore
One of, if not the best corner in the league stood out once again for this Patriots defense. Gilmore shut down Robby Anderson limiting him to one catch in the game. Gilmore is more of the leader of the entire “stud” secondary, so he will represent the entire group. One of the strongest groups in the NFL, the Gilmore-led secondary has another great night.
Dud: Ja’Whaun Bentley
Again, another example of someone who didn’t have an awful game, but just not someone who shined. After exploding onto the scene early last year as a late-round rookie, Bentley has been disappointing in 2019. Although he was great early last season, expectations may need to be tempered for Bentley as he was a late-round pick who hasn’t had much of a chance to prove his talent besides a few games. He could be pretty good, but as of right now he isn’t anywhere near where he was last year.
Stud: Lawrence Guy/Danny Shelton
The interior of the defensive line for New England was dominant. Le’veon Bell could not get much going on the ground beside a few outside runs, and the interior pass rush bothered Darnold all night. It becomes another week where the majority of “studs” come from the defense, but there isn’t really a bad choice here.
Dud: J.C. Jackson
Three holding/pass interference calls will get you on the downs list most days. That happens to be the case for Jackson who continued to struggle with holding receivers and getting beat. Jackson is talented but will need to stop using his hands to guard defenders.
