It was an exercise virtually every Patriots fan spent some time doing ever since the schedule was released in May. A quick peak down the slate of games showed a lot of potential problems, not only based on opposing quarterbacks but also from a variety of wide receivers.
Week 1 brought A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith with Philly, followed by Miami’s dynamic tandem of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. This past week featured a trip to the Meadowlands to take on the reigning Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson. Even the most optimistic followers had to worry about the idea of a rookie being tasked with keeping these electric playmakers in check.
But after three games cornerback Christian Gonzalez wouldn’t need two hands to count the amount of plays he was beaten on, and during that time he saw plenty of man-to-man reps against each of the aforementioned stars.
Pro Football Focus currently lists the Patriots first-round pick with the fourth-highest grade in the league among 96 qualifying corners, and he’s done it performing in a number of different ways.
It would be one thing if Bill Belichick simply asked the youngster to use his athleticism and lock up with an opposing receiver every play and execute man-to-man coverage. But the coach has used different schemes each week, employing plenty of zone looks in the first two games and an abundance of man against the Jets. Gonzalez has played with press techniques, roamed in zones and even impressed while occupying a de facto safety look while playing center field against Hill on a deep ball he secured for his first pick as a pro.
Despite the various changes to the game plan, Gonzalez has remained remarkably consistent and performed at a high level in every game. What stands out most from watching him is his fluid nature despite his lanky 6-2 frame. He flips his hips effortlessly while employing top-end speed to mirror wideouts.
Against the Jets he took on Wilson for much of the day and surrendered just three catches for 18 yards. Admittedly much of that had to do with Zach Wilson’s inability to quickly decipher the coverage and deliver the ball to the appropriate target, but Gonzalez has been up to the task each time he’s been called upon.
“One of the best things about Christian, especially at that position, is he’s very even-keeled,” Belichick said earlier in the week on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “He’s not overly emotional one way another and he’s got a good, calm demeanor – a lot like [Stephon] Gilmore did. He’s seen some very good receivers the first three weeks and we’re going to see another one this week.”
While Belichick focused on Gonzalez’ demeanor when comparing the two, the rookie is also similar in stature to Gilmore. Both are bigger corners who run well and those traits allow them to match up against receivers of different sizes and skill sets.
Belichick would certainly caution against making any definitive judgements on players just three games into their career, but Gonzalez’ performance has been a revelation, especially when considering the state of the secondary with Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones and Jack Jones all out of the lineup. He’s been given a lot of responsibility each week and has been outstanding.
It won’t get any easier this week as he could find himself across from Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, but based on the early results those are matchups the rookie should relish.
2023-09-26 15:03:58
#Rookie #Gonzalez #impresses #gate
