Two Surprise Patriots’ X-Factors Against Dolphins

Ahead of today's game, here are two major New England Patriots' X-Factors against the Miami Dolphins.

August 8, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson (21) warms up before a game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

When the New England Patriots brought running back Antonio Gibson in during the offseason, little did they know that he would end up being their Week 5 starter.

Rhamondre Stevenson was the clear-cut starter coming into the season. Unfortunately, after losing a fumble in each of the first four games, the Patriots were forced to bench him.

Now, New England will need Gibson to step up and play a big role.

Also, in the defensive secondary, the Patriots have been wrecked with injuries. At safety, both Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers will miss this week's game against the Miami Dolphins.

All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at two surprising X-Factors for New England today against the Dolphins.

Antonio Gibson, Running Back

Clearly, the first one on this list was going to be Gibson. The Patriots have to figure out a way to move the football on the ground.

Throughout the first four games of the year, New England has failed to move the ball consistently through the air. Jacoby Brissett and the wide receivers simply haven't gotten the job done. Kendrick Bourne is back this week and will help fix some things, but the running game is still extremely important.

Jerod Mayo likes to run the football first and foremost. Gibson is going to be the guy that decides whether or not that will work or not today.

Jaylinn Hawkins, Safety

As briefly touched on above, there are major concerns for the Patriots in the secondary at the safety position. With both Dugger and Peppers out, Jaylinn Hawkins is going to become a very big part of the team's defensive backfield.

Hawkins, a 27-year-old safety in his first season with New England, will be asked to handle a large workload. So far this season, he has recorded 11 tackles, a fumble recovery, and a defended pass.

From a talent perspective, Hawkins is more than capable of stepping up and playing well. Hopefully, that's exactly what he'll do and the Patriots' secondary will be able to keep Miami's electrifying offensive weapons in check.

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