The New England Patriots could be as close to being back at full strength on defense as they were at the start of the season for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins.

Star cornerback Christian Gonzalez missed multiple games with a shoulder injury, but since he's returned, the team has been without veteran corner Carlton Davis III, who has been sidelined with a neck injury. When asked about Davis, Gonzalez hinted at the possibility that the Patriots' No. 2 corner might be ready to return in Week 8.

"I think this is the first game, the first week where it's going to be all of us out there. So excited for that, to get back on the field with all of them," Gonzalez said, via Patriots Wire's Sophie Weller.

Charles Woods served as a top reserve option valiantly for both Gonzalez and Davis, but cracks started to show on the backend of the Patriots' defense in last week's loss to quarterback Caleb Williams and a talented Bears offense.

Williams went 22-of-33 passing for 308 yards and two touchdowns in the game.

Getting Davis back in the mix would once again give New England the one-two punch it needs in the defensive backfield to stand toe-to-toe with the elite offensive teams in the NFL. The Dolphins aren't one of those teams, but the Patriots face pivotal matchups against otherworldly offensive opponents in the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in the coming weeks.

They'll need all of the help they can get.

Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.