AFC Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

• Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert was fined $10,927 for unnecessary roughness.

Jets

• The Athletic’s Dianna Russini writes Jets HC Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas were not promised job security by owner Woody Johnson either before or after QB Aaron Rodgers‘ injury, so there’s still a lot riding on the rest of the season for them.
• Russini notes the Jets are trying to be more gameplan-specific and not force QB Zach Wilson to run the system they initially built for Rodgers. The hope is the other players on offense can elevate their games and help Wilson, per team sources: “If we can keep every game grimy and mucky, then that’s a win for us. We understand who we are. We are a strong defense, we have to play complementary football and be efficient. We have to all step up around him.”

Patriots

Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott said playing Week 4 against the Cowboys in Dallas will definitely be strange and still views the city like a home for him. 

“I don’t know what I’m necessarily expecting. It’s definitely going to be weird, just being in a different uniform, being in a different locker room. But I think it’s going to be a good experience,” said Elliott, via Michael Gehlken. “Dallas definitely is home to me.”

Elliott is trying to use his release from the Cowboys as fuel to improve in 2023. 

“But life is life,” Elliott said. “It is what it is. It was on me to get back on the horse. You can’t let negatives weigh you down. You gotta take a negative and turn it into a positive. And that’s what I’m working to do.”

• Patriots S Jabrill Peppers was fined $43,709 for unnecessary roughness and WR JuJu Smith-Schuster was fined $16,391 for unnecessary roughness.
• Patriots QB Mac Jones on WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: “JuJu’s great. Definitely want to get him the ball more. We work on it in practice. It’ll happen.” (Mark Daniels)
• Jones was not fined for his actions in last week’s game against the Jets after the NFL determined the video was inconclusive about whether he struck CB Sauce Gardner below the belt. (Tom Pelissero)