New England Patriots GameDay: 5 players who will fly high vs. NY Jets

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 10: Kyle Van Noy #53 of the New England Patriots celebrates with his teammates Jason McCourty #30, Matthew Slater #18 and Terrence Brooks #25 after recovering a fumble to score a touchdown against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter in the game at Gillette Stadium on October 10, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images) /

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New England Patriots Dont’a Hightower (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Dont’a Hightower, LB

As Bill Belichick pointed out in his press conference with the media, the New York Jets can and will do many things with running back Le’Veon Bell.

Although he didn’t do much in the team’s first meeting, Bell can dictate this game with his patient running style and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

If there is any weakness with this New England Patriots defense it is tackling and that is where veteran linebacker Dont’a Hightower will be huge in this game.

Stout against the run, Hightower is the kind of physical linebacker who will keep Bell from breaking any long runs. Due to his versatility, Hightower also presents an ability to pass the rusher as well as drop back in coverage. That is where he may confuse Sam Darnold into making a mistake or two.

Along with the rest of the “Boogeymen” linebackers, Dont’a Hightower has to be a factor in this game in keeping the Jets running game from controlling the line of scrimmage and the time of possession.

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