Foxborough, MA – The Patriots are readying for a tilt with the Dolphins, where they'll need to defend Miami's explosive offense without two key defenders in the secondary.

New England's game-day inactives for Sunday's matchup at Gillette Stadium are S Jabrill Peppers (shoulder), S Kyle Dugger (ankle), WR KJ Osborn (shoulder), WR Javon Baker, TE Jaheim Bell, DE Jamree Kromah, and rookie QB Joe Milton is the emergency third quarterback. After being activated from the reserve lists on Saturday, WR Kendrick Bourne and S Marte Mapu are officially active and will make their season debuts.

The Dolphins inactives are QB Skylar Thompson, S Jordan Poyer, RB Jeff Wilson Jr., CB Ethan Bonner, LB Channing Tindall, LB Mohamed Kamara, and OL Andrew Meyers.

Starting with the Patriots shorthanded secondary, New England was trending toward not having its starting safety tandem all week. Dugger did not participate in any practices in the lead-up to Sunday's game, while Peppers was downgraded to out on Saturday. Dugger's injury occurred when he landed awkwardly on his ankle during last week's loss to the 49ers. According to reports, Dugger avoided a major injury but is inactive for Week 5 along with Peppers, who is dealing with a shoulder issue.

Without their starting safeties, the Patriots will likely lean on veteran Jaylinn Hawkins and recently activated hybrid safety Marte Mapu. Hawkins was already playing 51.8% of the defensive snaps in the first four games. Last week, he was Dugger's primary replacement, while Hawkins was repping as the third safety in New England's nickel and dime packages when Dugger and Peppers were available, so the 27-year-old is already a regular contributor.

As for Mapu, the 2023 third-rounder was activated from injured reserve on Saturday. The second-year pro fits a similar hybrid mold to Dugger and Peppers, as Mapu can play from several different spots. Mapu mainly aligns in the box or as a man coverage defender on tight ends. New England also has undrafted rookie Dell Pettus, DB Isaiah Bolden, and special teams ace Brenden Schooler as safety depth. From this perspective, Hawkins could be the primary free safety, with Mapu and Pettus playing a hybrid/box safety role.

Although it's not ideal to be down your starting safeties for a matchup against Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Patriots will face a Tua-less Dolphins team that's starting backup QB Tyler Huntley. Miami's receiver duo is still incredibly dangerous, so the Pats can't take them lightly, but New England catches a break with the Dolphins quarterback situation.

The other key to the game for the Patriots defensively is keeping Huntley, who is highly mobile, in the pocket. New England has sometimes struggled to set the edge and pass rush with the discipline necessary to keep quarterbacks from extending plays. On Sunday, OLB Anfernee Jennings will return to the lineup after a one-game absence. Jennings missed last week's game in San Francisco due to a shoulder injury, but the sturdy edge-setter is officially active. New England will have Jennings, Keion White, Joshua Uche, and practice-squad elevation Ochaun Mathis as options to rush from the edge this week.

Moving over to the offense, the big question mark heading into Sunday's game was the offensive line's health. Along with some inconsistencies this season, the Patriots are now banged up on the O-Line, placing starting C David Andrews (shoulder) and rookie OT Caedan Wallace (ankle) on injured reserve earlier this week. Andrews will reportedly miss the rest of the season. Wallace, on the other hand, could return this season, per head coach Jerod Mayo.

The good news for the Patriots is that G Michael Jordan (ankle) and OT Vederian Lowe (knee) are officially active. Lowe returns after a two-game absence, while Jordan is back after missing last week's game vs. the 49ers. Based on the media's limited access to practice this week, the prediction here is that Jordan and Lowe will start on the left side of the offensive line. Projected starting center Nick Leverett (ankle) is also active, setting up the Patriots O-Line to have the following starting five: LT Lowe, LG Jordan, C Leverett, RG Sow/Robinson, RT Onwenu.

As for the skill positions, Bourne's return to the lineup is significant news for a Patriots offense that ranks last in passing yards through four games (112.3). In 2023, Bourne was having a career year before tearing his ACL last October. Bourne ranked 14th among 134 qualified receivers in ESPN's wide receiver score metric and was on pace for a career-high 78 catches for 864 yards and eight touchdowns. Depending on his conditioning level, Bourne could step in immediately as the Pats 'X' receiver with Osborn inactive, adding a pass-catcher who can beat single coverage and create after the catch.

With both teams looking to snap three-game losing streaks at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots are slight favorites over the Tua-less Dolphins on Sunday. Between a reconfigured offensive line and Bourne's return, the Patriots offense could yield better results by improving the situation around QB Jacoby Brissett moving forward.

The Patriots host the Dolphins on a beautiful day for football at Gillette Stadium, with kickoff at 1:00 pm ET on Sunday.

DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer