New England Patriots Week 5 Stock Report

Wasn't this the year the New England Patriots were finally supposed to see a challenge in the AFC East?

With all the improvements and changes made by each of the other three teams, it looked like this might be a year in which the gap closed a bit. The New York Jets are still 3-1, but it's impossible to say that any team has looked as sharp as the Patriots at this point in the season.

They currently average just a hair under 40 points per game on offense, making them the highest-scoring unit in the NFL through Week 4. They also have the league's most potent pass attack. But in Week 3, the Patriots also proved that they can run the ball when the situation calls for it as well. 

That being said, not everything is sunshine and rainbows in Foxborough, so here's a look at some of the stock ups and stock downs through three games. 

Stock Up: Tom Brady

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The future Hall of Fame quarterback just doesn't let up. Once again, Tom Brady is in the MVP race, and could even be on a record pace if he picks it up just a tick or two. 

Through three games, Brady has completed 72.2 percent of his passes (fifth in the NFL) for 1,112 yards (fifth) and has thrown nine touchdowns (tied for third), no picks and has a passer rating of 119.6 (third). With all of that, keep in mind he has played one fewer game than the other quarterbacks.

It's going to be a long 13-game stretch to close out the season, but Brady could be having the best season of his career as we speak. That would be quite an accomplishment in a 16-year career that's encapsulated four Super Bowl wins, six Super Bowl appearances and two MVP seasons.

Stock Down: Bradley Fletcher

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Meet the new No. 24, not the same as the old No. 24. 

Bradley Fletcher never professed to be Darrelle Revis, and no one else ever did that for him. The Patriots had to be hoping for more than what they've seen from him in the first two games of the season, though. According to Pro Football Focus, Fletcher has been targeted nine times and has given up eight receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown. 

Never one to watch idly as his team either succeeds or fails, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made the choice to name Justin Coleman to the game-day roster instead of Fletcher.

The Patriots are still searching for that perfect combination in the secondary; choosing between Logan Ryan, Tarell Brown or Coleman playing along with Malcolm Butler, the Patriots have plenty of options. In making Fletcher inactive for the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, though, the Patriots appeared to be convinced that he wasn't among the players who gave the team the best chance to win.

Stock Up: LeGarrette Blount

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Tom Brady has earned most of the headlines for the Patriots offense, but in Week 3, the running game finally had its day in the spotlight thanks to some powerful running by LeGarrette Blount.

Blount had just two carries against the Buffalo Bills in his return from suspension, but hit a switch in Week 3 and ran 18 times for 78 yards and three rushing touchdowns. The Patriots had 125 rushing yards as a team against the Jaguars, just 11 yards fewer than they had in the first two games combined.

Make no mistake, Dion Lewis is still an immensely important piece for the Patriots offense, but there's just no substitute for Blount's hard-nosed style of running. 

Stock Down: Patrick Chung

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The Patriots defense has gone through some changes that have benefited some players, but not all. One of the players on the wrong side of the equation has been Patrick Chung.

In 2014, Chung was a huge part of the defense. He participated in 994 of the 1,298 defensive snaps (76.6 percent) in the regular season and playoffs, according to Pro Football Focus. This season, he has played just 140 of a possible 202 snaps (69.3 percent) while third-year safety Duron Harmon has earned an increasing number of snaps (99 through three games, 49 percent). 

None of this even mentions rookie Jordan Richards, who was active for the first time against the Jaguars and made a nice play in coverage by knocking a receiver out of bounds to prevent a completion. Richards is very similar to Chung in terms of strengths and weaknesses, so there may be enough room for one on the Patriots depth chart in the long term. 

Stock Up: Jabaal Sheard

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The Patriots don't always make big splash free-agent signings like they did last year with Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, but they usually make a couple of very strong value signings that help round out the roster.

Defensive end Jabaal Sheard falls into that category. According to Pro Football Focus, Sheard has generated 14 pressures on the quarterback this season (11 hurries, one hit, two sacks) which is more than any other Patriots defender so far. 

The 26-year-old edge defender signed a two-year, $11 million contract this offseason, but he could be an important piece to the defense for a long time. He has the versatility to play the edge in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 front and to be effective in those roles.

Most importantly, his presence has helped alleviate some of the pressure on teammates Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich. According to Pro Football Focus, all three of the Patriots' top edge defenders—Sheard, Jones and Ninkovich—have played between 70 and 85 percent of the snaps this year. That's a stark contrast to the past two seasons, when they've each played at least 95 percent of the snaps when healthy.

Thanks to Sheard, Jones and Ninkovich will have enough gas to get them through the season. 

Unless otherwise noted, all advanced stats obtained via Pro Football Focus.