New England Patriots Week 1: 3 Keys to beating the Miami Dolphins

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on during the the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on during the the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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New England Patriots Stephon Gilmore (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
New England Patriots Stephon Gilmore (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Stephon Gilmore needs to lock down Miami’s wide receivers

Again, this shouldn’t be something to really question, but Stephon Gilmore had a rough go of it the last time the New England Patriots faced the Miami Dolphins. The reigning defensive player of the year gave up 8 receptions for 137 yards to DeVante Parker.

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It’s hard to knock Gilmore too much for that, considering how elite he was in 2019. However, that was definitely not an ideal day to have a bad performance, and Gilmore needs to be better on Sunday.

Parker is currently dealing with a hamstring injury that could possibly limit his reps. That would certainly make things easier for Gilmore and the Patriots defense.

The secondary is still a strength for this Patriots team, and there is no excuse for them not to make things hard on Miami’s passing attack lead by Ryan Fitzpatrick. If Gilmore plays as well as we have come to expect, the result should be different this time.