Despite practicing in a limited capacity during the week, CB Christian Gonzalez’s (hamstring) season debut will need to wait at least one more week.
On Saturday, the Patriots ruled out Gonzalez for their Week 3 matchup vs. Steelers after initially listing the star cornerback as questionable on Friday’s final injury report. The All-Pro cornerback returned to Patriots practice this week after a lengthy absence that dates back to the early stages of training camp. Along with downgrading Gonzalez to out, the Patriots elevated special teams contributors LB Mark Robinson and DB Kobee Minor from the practice squad for Week 3.
On July 28, Gonzalez injured his hamstring covering a pass route during a training camp practice session, and was held out of practice and the first two regular-season games over the last several weeks. Gonzalez returned to practice this week, participating in a limited capacity, which included individual and non-contact tackling drills and sprinting during warmups while practice was open to the media. On Friday, head coach Mike Vrabel gave an update on Gonzalez in his return to practice.
“He did some work,” Vrabel said earlier this week. “It was good to see him out there. It’s very good to have him out there, and the more guys we can get out there, the better.”
Although it would’ve been great to see Gonzalez play this weekend, it makes sense that he needs a ramp-up period after such a long layoff. It had been over seven weeks between practices for the star cornerback, who also didn’t have much of a training camp or any preseason games to knock the rust off heading into the season. The notion that Gonzalez would be able to immediately play after a 51-day absence with just three in-season practices under his belt seemed far-fetched. So, the Patriots are taking things slowly.
Still, the Patriots defense has struggled without their All-Pro corner, allowing a league-high 677 passing yards while ranking 31st in passer rating allowed through two weeks (126.1). New England has also struggled in man coverage, allowing a league-high 11.2 yards per pass attempt while playing man-to-man. The Patriots signed veteran CB Carlton Davis in the offseason to form a formidable duo with Gonzalez, so the struggles in man coverage, in particular, wasn’t the vision for how this defense was going to stop the pass this season.
The Patriots defense will now try to slow down Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers and company without Gonzalez for the third consecutive game. Most likely, New England will stick to the same cornerback trio as it had in the first two games, with Davis playing alongside captain Marcus Jones and third-year pro Alex Austin. Davis and Jones have mostly held up their end, but Austin has been inconsistent in Gonzalez’s spot, while opposing offenses have also successfully attacked the Patriots linebacker and safeties in coverage over the middle of the field.
On Sunday, the formula to stopping Rodgers has been to play man coverage and to get the 41-year-old quarterback to hold the ball. Rodgers’s escapability or sack avoidance has declined, leading to the fifth-highest pressure-to-sack rate among qualified quarterbacks (30.4%), while the future Hall of Famer ranks second-to-last in the league in average air yards per pass attempt (5.7 yards). Rodgers doesn’t throw deep as often and is less inclined to sit in muddied pockets, so that’s why man coverage has been effective.
Although it’s harder to do without their top cover corner, Davis matches up well against Steelers star receiver DK Metcalf, while Jones isn’t a bad matchup for Pittsburgh’s No. 2 receiver, Calvin Austin. Then, it comes down to who is covering the Steelers backs and tight ends, with RB Jaylen Warren and Pittsburgh’s two-tight end sets presenting the biggest matchup problems. How well the Patriots hold up in man coverage against Warren as well tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith might decide this game when the Steelers offense is on the field.
The Patriots will host the Steelers with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
Source link
