Jones had his own impressive return from injury last Sunday, recovering a fumble and showing strong tackling skills despite his lack of overwhelming size. This week the Patriots will need even more from Jones, as a matchup against Jaxon Smith-Njigba could be looming. JSN had just two catches for 19 yards, but he’s a dangerous receiver who had 63 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns last season. But it’s not just on defense where Jones’ impact could be felt, as the explosive returner is always just one play away from taking one to the end zone. Jones was a wild card this season, but through one game he’s shown the speed and all-around talent that could elevate the entire defense and return teams.
Smith had a quiet opening game but still did enough, including a 34-yard rushing touchdown, to help the Seahawks pull out an opening victory. The almost-34-year-old has been one of the NFL’s best stories of recent seasons, resurrecting his career in 2022 and leading Seattle to back-to-back winning seasons while throwing for 50 total touchdowns and nearly 8,000 yards. The Patriots will have to be conscious of his scrambling ability, a problem they didn’t have to worry much about with Joe Burrow, but it’s the deep ball that is most important to take away. Smith is a smart veteran, keeping him in the pocket then closing in with the pass rush is a critical key to the game.
At 6-foot-4, Metcalf is a freak and someone who can quickly turn a deep ball into a score. Despite a quiet opening week (three catches, 29 yards), Metcalf has broken 1,000 receiving yards in three of his first five seasons and is a big play threat on every play. Keeping a safety over the top of Metcalf is another big key in the game. In the past, the Pats defense has often put their best corner on the opponent’s number two receiver and doubled the number one. That seems like a good approach this week with Metcalf, with Jonathan Jones being a fast and…
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