One of the most important brilliant spots to the Patriots’ 0-2 begin to the 2023 season has been the play of rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez via two tough matchups to start his NFL profession.
Gonzalez made the Patriots’ finest defensive play in Sunday night time’s 24-17 loss to the Dolphins, operating over and leaping in entrance of vast receiver Tyreek Hill on a deep shot from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to take the ball away with a formidable interception.
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The Patriots trailed 17-10 with 10 minutes left within the sport when he made the takeaway. Mac Jones and the offense couldn’t capitalize on the Dolphins’ turnover, however it gave the Patriots a combating likelihood late within the sport.
“Gonzo learns every day,” head coach Bill Belichick mentioned on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday morning. “Smart child, actually pays consideration and tries to do what you ask him to do. It was an impressive interception that he had. It was kind of somewhat bit much like the play that got here up in Miami final 12 months the place Tyreek went up form of took the ball away from us. It was somewhat bit completely different play however the identical thought after which that is one the place Gonzo went up and took the ball away from Hill. Really good play not solely to interrupt up however made a superb catch and hauled it in.
“There were other coverage plays that he had. Obviously, he’s going up against some of the best receivers in the league the last two weeks. Those experiences will pay off for him down the road.”
Gonzalez confronted off towards Hill and Jaylen Waddle, top-of-the-line vast receiver duos within the NFL, on Sunday night time one week after overlaying Eagles receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, one other one of many league’s finest tandems, in Week 1.
Hill caught simply 5 passes on 9 targets for 40 yards and a landing (with security Kyle Dugger in protection) on the Patriots. Waddle caught 4 passes on six targets for 86 yards. The Patriots allowed simply 79 yards to Brown and 47 yards and a landing to Smith in Week 1.
They have been compelled to cowl Hill and Waddle with out beginning cornerback Jonathan Jones, who missed Week 2 after struggling an ankle harm in follow. Cornerback Jack Jones started the 12 months on injured reserve with a hamstring ailment and may’t return till Week 5 on the earliest, and Marcus Jones suffered a shoulder harm halfway via the primary quarter and didn’t return.
Belichick didn’t have an replace on Marcus Jones’ harm.
That left the Patriots with Gonzalez, Myles Bryant and Shaun Wade at cornerback.
“The corner position’s unfortunately been thinned out here over the last couple of weeks, but I thought those guys competed well,” Belichick mentioned Monday morning on a video convention name. “Obviously it’s a reasonably good group of receivers and quarterback however had our good moments. I believed these guys competed properly and gave us an amazing effort.
“Just collectively, defensively we had really two bad series that kind of tilted the game there. So have to do a better job in those two situations.”
The Patriots allowed an 11-play, 78-yard touchdown-scoring drive early within the second quarter after rookie vast receiver Demario Douglas gave the ball away on a fumble. The protection additionally let up a 43-yard landing run to operating again Raheem Mostert halfway via the fourth quarter.
If Jonathan and Marcus Jones can’t play Week 3 towards the Jets, the Patriots even have the choice of shifting security Jalen Mills again to cornerback, the place he performed in 2021 and 2022.
Source: www.bostonherald.com
