Here are some players to keep an eye on as the Patriots take on the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football:
Players to Watch - Patriots
1. Kyle Arrington, CB: Arrington, in his second season out of Hofstra, looked pretty good in his debut as a starter last week against the Buffalo Bills. While Arrington looked alright, tonight will be a much tougher test for him, as he will likely be guarding the likes of Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess.
2. Shawn Crable/Jermaine Cunningham, OLB: Jermaine Cunningham made his debut start last week, and looked solid. In his third year with the team, Shawn Crable made his debut game last week, and like Cunningham, played alright. These two will be asked to rush the passer a lot tonight, so it will be interesting to see if they can actually get to the quarterback this time around (although Cunningham had some key pressures, including one that directly resulted in an interception by Pat Chung).
3. BenJarvus Green-Ellis/Sammy Morris, RB: With Fred Taylor ruled out of tonight's game, the load of the running game will likely fall on BenJarvus Green-Ellis once again. With doubters a plenty, Green-Ellis certainly has a lot to prove. Let's also not discount Sammy Morris, who, despite his age is still talented and will be playing against his former team in the Dolphins.
4. Rob Gronkowski/Aaron Hernandez, TE: It has been well-documented that the Dolphins have struggled guarding tight ends this year. Last week, Dustin Keller burned them for two scores. Keller is good, but is just one player. The Patriots have two excellent young tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and the virtually uncoverable Aaron Hernandez.
5. Brandon Spikes, ILB: Spikes struggled last week against the Bills with his reads, making a couple of bad plays on the play-action. Look for him to get back into a groove tonight, as I expect the Dolphins to look heavily towards the run.
Five players to watch for the Dolphins after the jump!
Players to Watch - Dolphins
1. Anthony Fasano, TE: We know that the Dolphins have struggled covering tight ends this season, but so have the Patriots. Anthony Fasano is one of the most underrated at his position in the league, and has hurt the Pats in the past. The Patriots will need to watch out for him in the red zone.
2. Lousaka Polite, FB: The Patriots have struggled to stop the 3rd and 4th and one attempts this year. Polite has been a beast in those short yardage situations, and looks to get the call should the Dolphins find themselves in those situations.
3. Vontae Davis, CB: Davis and Moss had two really good match-ups last season. Davis is a year older and certainly is improved. He will give Randy Moss all that he can handle tonight.
4. Cameron Wake, OLB: The former CFL star has impressed thus far in his first three games as a starter, coming up with two sacks. With his athleticism and quickness, he could give tackle Matt Light fits.
5. Brandon Marshall/Davone Bess, WR: Honestly, I've underrated Brandon Marshall in the past. I've thought that he was overrated, but he just proves me wrong again and again. He will be a tough match-up for Devin McCourty. With the way the Patriots have utilized their defensive backs, Davone Bess could have a field day from the slot.