The New England Patriots enjoyed a couple of relatively stress-free weeks regarding Christian Gonzalez, but the uncertainty around the cornerback has returned.
Gonzalez was limited in practice on Oct. 9 with a hamstring issue, presumably the same hamstring that kept him out of the first three games of the season. Speaking to reporters a day later, head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed the cornerback’s status for Week 6 in New Orleans is up in the air.
“Christian will be questionable for the game,” Vrabel told reporters at his Friday press conference. “We’ll continue to monitor him for the game. … That’s where we’re at, and we’ll have a plan if he doesn’t go, and we’ll have a plan if he does go, just like everybody else.”
Patriots Dealing With Christian Gonzalez Uncertainty Once Again
Vrabel also noted Gonzalez was likely to be a game-time decision, saying the team would make its final call 90 minutes before kickoff in New Orleans when the inactive list is due.
Vrabel declined to answer questions about Gonzalez’s practice status for Friday. However, Gonzalez, per multiple reporters, was on the field for the Patriots’ Oct. 10 practice, the final session of the week before New England heads south to take on the Saints.
It’s worth noting that Gonzalez was a full participant leading into the Buffalo game and was completely removed from the injury report.
Where it gets confusing, though, is Vrabel didn’t seem to acknowledge anything about Gonzalez’s practice status during the week was planned. However, Patriots cornerbacks coach Justin Hamilton told reporters on Oct. 9 that Gonzalez was limited early in practice by design.
“He’s on a plan with (Vrabel) and (director of sports performance Frank Piraino) with (head athletic trainer Jim Whelan) in the training room, and it’s kind of a warm-up to the early portion of practice, just to do more,” Hamilton told reporters, per Pats Pulpit.
Gonzalez Has Made Immediate Impact in Brief Return
Gonzalez suffered the hamstring injury in July, leading to a lengthy absence. He missed just about all of training camp, the entire preseason and the first three games of the season. He finally made his season debut Week 3 against Carolina. The Patriots routed the Panthers, allowing the team to ease Gonzalez back in with 71% of the defensive snaps.
That changed last week in Buffalo; Gonzalez played 100% of New England’s 68 defensive snaps in a signature win over the previously undefeated Bills. Gonzalez has only been targeted eight times in his two games since returning with opposing quarterbacks completing four of those attempts.
“Gonzalez only allowed one catch on four targets, saving his best for last by ‘plastering’ to Khalil Shakir on a scramble drill to break up a potential conversion on third down,” Evan Lazar wrote for Patriots.com in his weekly film review following the Buffalo game. “(Gonzalez) also had a perfectly covered go route and matched WR Keon Coleman on another extended play to force an incompletion in the end zone.
“The lone reception Gonzalez gave up was a 23-yard crosser to Josh Palmer in man-free (man coverage with single-high safety), where Palmer ran away. Overall, Gonzalez played his role in allowing the Patriots to play a 41 percent man coverage rate.”
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