4 New England Patriots the Las Vegas Raiders should worry about in Week 3

4 New England Patriots the Las Vegas Raiders should worry about in Week 3

Stephon Gilmore

The Raiders had their hands full game planning around elite cornerback Marshon Lattimore in last weeks game against the Saints. They face just as much, if not a bigger obstacle in 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.

The 29-year old veteran has been the biggest bright spot for that Patriots defense for a few years now and seem to really shine last year.

The Patriots defense was one of the most dominate in 2019 and Gilmore was a huge part of that. Ending the season with six interceptions and 20 passes deflected, Gilmore held a league best 84 targets without allowing a touchdown. The fact that he was always tasked with covering every teams top receiver puts it into perspective on just how dominate he was last season.

That top tier defense from last year had a few notable opt-outs because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Safety Patrick Chung and linebacker Dont’a Hightower both will not be with their team this season. Having to start backup Adrian Phillips in replacement of Chung will undoubtedly put more pressure on Gilmore to perform at an elite level, though I’m sure he is up for the challenge.

Last week saw Lattimore 1-on-1 with Bryan Edwards while Henry Ruggs III was bracketed with safety help over the top. I expect to see a similar plan of attack from the Patriots, as 33-year old  5-11 Jason McCourty who plays opposite of Gilmore, could be exploited if asked to try and lock down 6-3 215 lb Edwards. Regardless of how they plan to matchup against the Raiders young receivers, you can bet Derek Carr will be more inclined to throw to wherever Gilmore isn’t.