New England Patriots: Grading the 5 bold player predictions of Week 1

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 13: Stephon Gilmore #24 of the New England Patriots stands with teammates as Alicia Keys performs "Lift Every Voice and Sing" by video stream before the game between the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on September 13, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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New England Patriots. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) /

Grading the 5 bold player predictions in the New England Patriots 21-11 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1.

No fans, no Tom Brady, same result for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots as the team powered their way to a 21-11 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the Week 1 AFC East matchup.

Led by an energetic Cam Newton who rushed for two touchdowns and was mostly efficient passing the ball, the Patriots offense looked pretty good in controlling the game on the ground and looking hard to stop at times given what Newton now brings to the table.

Combine that with a solid defensive performance and the New England Patriots may be more in the mix in the AFC than everyone thinks. It’s just the Dolphins, but it is how the Patriots executed on both sides of the ball that was impressive given no preseason games.

Entering the Week 1 matchup with expectations not as high as usual and many question marks, Bill Belichick’s team without that constant factor named Tom Brady will need players to step up on a weekly basis.

For this particular game, I predicted big games from Sony Michel, Dalton Keene, Chase Winovich, N’Keal Harry and Stephon Gilmore.

How did those five players impact the game?

Here are the grades for the 5 bold player predictions in the New England Patriots 21-11 washing of the Miami Dolphins.

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