New England Patriots GameDay: 5 players who will stampede the Texans
Stephon Gilmore, CB
After holding Dallas Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper to zero catches a week ago, New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore will more than likely face another big-time receiver in DeAndre Hopkins.
With 839 receiving yards this season, Hopkins is obviously the key to the Houston Texans offense. If Gilmore can shut him down like he did Cooper, it will make life difficult for Deshaun Watson as he will be forced to find other ways to move the ball against Bill Belichick’s defense.
Already a candidate for NFL defensive player of the year, Stephon Gilmore is proving on a weekly basis that he is the top corner in the league and certainly one of the best defensive players Belichick has coached. He will continue to prove that status on Sunday night.
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While you can’t expect Gilmore to shut out a player like DeAndre Hopkins like he did against Amari Cooper, he will certainly limit those big plays the duo of Watkins and Hopkins are capable of.
Add to the fact that this is a primetime game, expect Stephon Gilmore to be the main x-factor in this game.