Jonnu Smith, former Patriots bust, having strong season for new team

While the Patriots aren’t having a strong 2023 season, some of their former players are. One of those is former New England tight end Jonnu Smith, who was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in March.

Smith’s time with the Patriots was underwhelming, to say the least. After signing a three-year deal in March 2021, the tight end amassed just 55 catches for 539 receiving yards and one touchdown. He never quite found his groove in New England, but a fresh start with the Falcons — and being reunited with team owner Arthur Smith — appears to be exactly what Smith needed.

While his stats don’t jump off the page, Smith is having a productive season for Atlanta. He scored his first touchdown of the season — and his first since 2021 — Sunday in the Falcons’ Week 6 loss to the Washington Commanders.

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Smith has played in all six games this season and has 25 catches on 32 targets for 282 yards. He’s averaging 11.3 yards per reception, and his longest catch is 33 yards. Should he be able to keep this kind of pace, he’ll likely see a new career-high in receiving yards (448 in 2020).

Here’s a brief roundup of how other former Patriots players performed in Week 6:

Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo: 14-of-22, 162 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception — Garoppolo left Sunday’s game against the Patriots with a back injury. He was transported to the hospital for precautionary reasons, and was replaced by fellow former Patriots QB Brian Hoyer. Garoppolo’s status for Week 7 is unknown, but it appears he “dodged a big bullet.”

Raiders QB Brian Hoyer: 6-of-10, 102 yards

Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers: 5 carries, 61 yards, 1 touchdown

Bills RB Damien Harris — Harris suffered a scary neck injury that had him leave the game against the Giants in an ambulance. He was released from the hospital and, aside from some neck pain, will be OK.

Dolphins WR Braxton Berrios: 2 receptions, 20 yards | 1 punt return

Titans K Nick Folk: 3-3 on field goals, 10 points total

Ravens WR Nelson Agholor: 2 receptions, 40 yards