5 New England Patriots thrust into the spotlight Week 5 vs Broncos

The New England Patriots will go into Week 5 vs the Denver Broncos with these 5 players thrust into the spotlight.

Coming off a tough Monday night loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the New England Patriots prepare for another Monday night matchup (game has been moved to next Sunday) against the Denver Broncos without two of their best players.

With the game pushed back to Monday due to Stephon Gilmore testing positive for COVID-19, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is faced with the challenge of not only playing possibly without Cam Newton and his best defensive player, he has the challenge of getting his team prepared for the Week 5 matchup against the Broncos on a very short week of practice.

In what has already been a season of adjustments, Belichick feels his team his highly prepared to hurdle yet another obstacle.

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"“Yeah, as I said, they’ve done a good job of adjusting all year,” Belichick said during his conference call on Saturday.  “We’ve done things differently this year than we’ve ever done them before or probably anybody’s ever done them before.  So, they’ve done an excellent job of adjusting and adapting.  We’ve had to make some last-minute changes and adjustments to our schedule, to our routine.  It’s been hard to get into a routine, which is something I think that you always develop during every season – you can pick out almost any hour and minute of the day during the course of a week and know what you’re doing.”"

With the status of Cam Newton still up in the air, the New England Patriots will look to get back in the win column entering their bye week.  Here are five players thrust into the spotlight who must step up to lead the team to, in the words of Matthew Slater, the “sweet nectar of victory” over the Denver Broncos.

Update: This game has been moved to next Sunday.  This list will be updated to reflect a Week 6 game vs Week 5.

Julian Edelman must be Julian Edelman

With the way the New England Patriots defense played against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, that side of the football is not a major concern going up against the Denver Broncos even without Stephon Gilmore.

The offensive side of the football is what will win this game for the Patriots and it all starts with Julian Edelman.

Although the team will probably feature the run game, Edelman has to be that reliable outlet that he has been known to be.  Whether it is Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer taking the snaps, the veteran wide receiver can’t afford the drops he had against the Chiefs.

While there may be some injury concern, as he has popped up on the injury report listed as questionable with a knee issue, his head has to be in the game as a spark for the New England Patriots offense.

In other words, the Patriots need the Julian Edelman who balled it out against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 of the NFL season.

Can Michael Onwenu continue to dominate?

There is obviously no Von Miller in this game, but offensive line play is going to be an important factor in this game.

It doesn’t start with New England Patriots offensive lineman Michael Onwenu, but his strong play has helped stabilize the line even with injuries to center David Andrews and guard Shaq Mason.

Already establishing himself as the team’s best rookie in 2020, what Onwenu allows the team to do is shift its best offensive lineman Joe Thuney around.  Named Pro Football Focus’ offensive player of the week, the sixth-round pick out of the University of Michigan is a major part in why the team has the second-most rushing yards in the entire NFL.

With the focus being on the run game behind Damien Harris, Rex Burkhead, James White and undrafted rookie J.J. Taylor, Michael Onwenu is starting to get some high recognition around the league.

The 6-foot-3, 375-pound offensive line stud needs to continue that elite play as the team continues to form an identity as a team that is physical in the run game.

All eyes on Damien Harris and the New England Patriots run game

With the Denver Broncos entering this game giving up 109.0 yards per game on the ground, it won’t be a given that the New England Patriots rushing attack will dominate in this game, but they will sure try.

If Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer is the starter, the Patriots will try to take some pressure off by running the ball and they will do it behind second year running back Damien Harris who lived up to the hype in his 2020 NFL regular season debut.

With 100 yards rushing on 17 attempts against the Kansas City Chiefs, Harris appeared to just be getting started as his longest run came at the end of the third quarter.  Just look at the power combined with the breakaway speed:

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1313286709757476864

Finally getting his opportunity, Damien Harris has at least given himself a chance to claim his status as the featured back, especially with Sony Michel now on injured reserve.  That does not mean the New England Patriots won’t mix in both Rex Burkhead and James White.

In running the ball behind a physical offensive line as mentioned in the previous slide, both Damien Harris and Burkhead will have their share of opportunities to make things happen.  Also, don’t be surprised if J.J. Taylor gets in on the act if the running game is successful early on.

All eyes on New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson

The reason the New England Patriots should still be fine without Stephon Gilmore is due to the depth in their secondary.

With J.C. Jackson playing with the confidence he has, Bill Belichick will be able to still do some of the things he would do with Gilmore in the game.  Not only does he have Jackson who is establishing himself as a cornerback on the brink of being elite, he has veterans in Jason McCourty and Jonathan Jones who will step up.

Belichick also has a tall, lanky corner in JoeJuan Williams who has stepped up so far this season.  So, depth wise the Patriots will be alright in this game, especially with the Broncos top receiver Courtland Sutton out.

Whether the Patriots defense is going up against Drew Lock or Brett Rypien, Belichick will still have the advantage with his ability to throw confusion at young quarterbacks.

As for J.C. Jackson, he really has a chance to establish himself without Stephon Gilmore as a player worth a big contract.  Whether it is from the New England Patriots or some other team, Jackson really has a chance to shine as a top corner in the league.

It all starts in this Week 5 matchup.

Jarrett Stidham has a chance at redemption

There is still a slight chance Cam Newton can play Monday night, if there is a game on Monday night.  But it looks like the team is leaning towards giving Jarrett Stidham the start if Newton is unable to go.

With the mistakes Brian Hoyer showed last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, this is a good move for the Patriots.

Although Stidham had a couple of interceptions, he just looked better than Hoyer on the field.  With just a quarter played, the second-year quarterback did have a nice touchdown throw to N’Keal Harry.  That should give him some confidence going into this matchup against the Denver Broncos.

What should also benefit Jarrett Stidham is a week of preparation.  Although the team hasn’t physically been on the practice field, except for one day, it should prepare his mindset entering the game.

As for what he will have around him, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will put him in a position to be successful given his skillset.

In all, the running game and short passing game should help Jarrett Stidham as the New England Patriots offense will have to focus on not making mistakes in this game.  If those mistakes are limited and the team executes, the Patriots should still win this game with Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore.