Nelson Agholor, Jonnu Smith among ex-Pats who made Week 2 impact

Nelson Agholor, Jonnu Smith among ex-Pats who made Week 2 impact originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Patriots fans don’t have particularly fond memories of Nelson Agholor and Jonnu Smith, who failed to live up to the expensive contracts they signed with New England in 2021. But on Sunday, both players flashed some of the talent that earned them those hefty deals in the first place.

Agholor and Smith were among several former Patriots who played active roles for their new teams in NFL Week 2. In fact, a total of four players who were on New England’s 2022 roster contributed in meaningful ways Sunday.

Let’s get to the highlights:

Nelson Agholor, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Week 2 stats: Six targets, five catches, 63 yards, one TD

After not even seeing the field in Week 1, Agholor was the Ravens’ most active pass-catcher in their 27-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The 30-year-old led the team in receiving yards and scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with an impressive over-the-shoulder grab in the fourth quarter.

Agholor caught five or more passes in just three games for the Patriots last season, so whether he can replicate Sunday’s success remains to be seen. Top Ravens wideout Odell Beckham Jr. left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, however, and if he misses any time, perhaps Agholor will see more targets going forward.

Jonnu Smith, TE, Atlanta Falcons

Week 2 stats: Six targets, four catches, 47 yards

Who would have thought Smith — who also didn’t play in Week 1 — would double the receptions of first-round tight end Kyle Pitts?

That’s what happened Sunday, as head coach Arthur Smith and the Falcons dialed up several plays for Smith to give him his most receiving yards since Week 6 of the 2022 season with New England.

“Jonnu is somebody who’s made plays in big-time games,” Arthur Smith said of his tight end after Atlanta’s 25-24 win over the Green Bay Packers. “… He’s a great catch-and-run player. … You get him out in the flat, he’s hard to tackle.”

Week 2 stats: Seven rushes, 33 yards, one TD

Harris’ days as a workhorse running back are over, as he and Latavius Murray are splitting backup reps behind second-year starter James Cook. But the former Patriots star got on the score sheet Sunday, plunging in from one yard out to put the finishing touches on the Bills’ 38-10 rout of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Despite racking up 929 rushing yards for New England just two seasons ago, Harris appears to be mostly a goal-line and short-yardage option for Buffalo, as he didn’t contribute in the receiving game. But don’t be surprised if he finds the end zone a few times this season.

If Folk is out to prove the Patriots shouldn’t have released him in favor of rookie Chad Ryland this preseason, he’s off to a pretty good start.

After going 5-for-5 in his Tennessee debut last weekend, Folk drilled both of his field goal attempts Sunday, including a game-winning 41-yarder in the rain in overtime to seal the Titans’ 27-24 victory over Los Angeles Chargers.

For those keeping score at home, Folk has scored 24 points for the Titans through two games — good for second-most in the NFL.