FOXBOROUGH – By all accounts, Christian Gonzalez is closing in on a return.
At this point, it would be an upset if the All-Pro cornerback, who has been out since July 28 with a hamstring injury, wasn’t on the field when the Patriots host the Carolina Panthers Sunday.
All of which begs the question: Can Gonzalez help fix what’s broke for the 1-2 Patriots?
Can he force his fellow defenders not to miss so many tackles? Can he stop the defense from making so many unforced errors, and blowing so many coverages?
Probably not.
He can’t help the linebackers take better angles to the ball carrier, or wrap them up and get them to the ground.
He can’t negate all the penalties. He also can’t stop Drake Maye and Rhamondre Stevenson from fumbling the football.
The Patriots, however, will be much better with him.
He will help the cause once he ramps back up to form. He’s their best defensive player. Inserting him will allow everyone else in the cornerback room to assume their proper roles.
After three games, the Patriots have allowed the most 20-plus yard pass plays. They’re 28th in yards allowed after catch, and 30th in yards per pass attempt.
Gonzalez’ ability to shut down the opposing team’s top receiver, with Carton Davis III now handling the No. 2, will make a difference.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel put it into perspective Wednesday.
“I’ve said this numerous times here, your best players have to play good in order for you to have a chance to win. And so, Christian would be one of those players, and we just need to try to get everybody out there that we can get out there,” Vrabel said during his press availability. “Hopefully he progresses well throughout the week and he can help us.”
Gonzalez indicated the hamstring was good. It stood up to what he did on the field last week, and he was excited to play.
The fact it took him seven weeks just to get back on the practice field, with no acknowledgement of a setback, sent up some flags.
It caused some consternation with pundits as well as the fan base.
Then, there was the elephant in the room. His contract situation. Given he can negotiate a new contract after his third year, might Gonzalez have been thinking big picture, not wanting to jeopardize his earning potential at season’s end?
Whether that factored in or not, something appeared awry.
Gonzalez, however, pushed back at the notion that he was dogging it, saying Wednesday he wanted to play against the Steelers Sunday and wasn’t happy that anyone had suggested otherwise.
“I never don’t want to play. That narrative that’s out there, I don’t know where people get it from,” Gonzalez said. “I mean, all I want to do is play football, so we (he and Vrabel) talked about it and came up to a decision (about the Steelers game), and that’s what it is.”
Vrabel also attempted to take heat off Gonzalez saying it was his decision to have his top corner inactive for the Steelers game. The coach also praised the effort Gonzalez has put in to return.
Whatever the reason for his lengthy absence, all that matters now is what happens in the future, and how long it takes the star corner to get up to speed in a game setting.
Having Gonzalez and Davis on opposite flanks, with the capability of shutting down opposing receivers with man coverage is huge. It allows Vrabel and the defensive staff so much more flexibility getting to the opposing quarterback, not to mention influence what he sees when he scans the field.
Already, Maye has started to see Gonzo’s impact just in practice.
“It’s always good to have him and CD (Carlton Davis III), they make it challenging to make throws,” Maye said Wednesday. “They don’t make it easy … but he’s a great player. I’m looking forward to seeing him when he gets back.
“He’s smooth, he’s patient, he’s one of the best in the game.”
With Gonzalez back, it’s possible the Patriots will no longer be outscored in the second half of games, and won’t surrender as many explosive plays.
It’s also possible the corners won’t be flagged for as many penalties, and their plus-minus ratio and turnover differential will improve. The YAC yards might diminish, too.
Gonzalez might not be able to fix everything, but he could still be an X factor.
Assuming, of course, that he’s healthy, plays like he’s capable, and doesn’t re-injure the hamstring shortly after his comeback.
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