FOXBOROUGH – Next Gen Stats only started tracking passing yards allowed by a single defender in 2018. But their data on Christian GonzalezSunday’s performance against the Packers would make even those who believe in him and the Patriots the most nauseous.
The highest-paid cornerback in football has allowed 187 yards, including 80+ to two different pass receivers, Matthew Golden And Christian Watson. NGS never traced this in its history.
Sometimes it’s just not your night, and it definitely wasn’t Christian Gonzalez’s night yesterday. In very good position here until he tripped. Sweet adjustment to the ball by Golden https://t.co/gtiL6UDkpm
– JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) November 9, 2026
Dirty throw and catch by Love and Matthew Golden. I love hitting that fadeaway jumper right under center, it’s sick, and Golden’s speed and separation skills to beat Gonzalez, here’s A1 https://t.co/BqXZnoODpe
– JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) November 9, 2026
In his first six games, Gonzalez has given up 196. But more importantly, he hasn’t looked or played like the same player he was before suffering a shoulder injury in the Week 3 loss to the Jaguars. What’s going on in the big world of sports? I asked Mike Vrabel during his press conference on Monday morning.
“You can’t take a nap in this league,” Vrabel said. “And you have to be – any receiver, especially the good ones, you have to play with great technique. You have to challenge when you can. The same things that happen with all DBs, right? When you look at the quarterback sometimes – and they’re going to catch passes – it’s just they have to earn it.
“Christian made some plays, I’m sure he’d like to come back, and I said this: We have high expectations of him, and he certainly does too. So, I think it’s about taking on the challenge of this week and then coming back. To play a corner in this league, you have to have a short memory, whether it’s good plays or bad plays, and I’m sure he will.”
“A nap? That’s a damning word from the head coach, especially for a player whose competitiveness was questioned upon entering the 2023 NFL Draft, even more so with the way some viewed Gonzalez’s postgame press conference.
Full disclosure: I was sitting directly across from him. Gonzalez seemed to spend half his time smirking at questions or responding. I’ve been around him since he came into the league, as strange as it may sound, that’s just his face. If you go back to his media availability during his contract dispute, it’s no different. So I don’t read anything there. His answers were matter-of-fact.
“I know the team is counting on me,” Gonzalez said Sunday. “The defense is counting on me. It hurts to disappoint them, but it’s football. At the end of the day, it’s a game. I had a bad game. I’m going to watch it and be ready for Detroit.”
What else would you like him to say? Do you want tears? One-word answers? No comments? Ultimately, Gonzalez needs to play better.
“I mean, you just can’t call a play or think they’re not going to challenge you or throw the ball to you,” Vrabel said when asked what he meant by the word “nap.” “That’s it. You think you’re not going to get any attention, I mean, the quarterbacks in this league, the talented players in this league, they run a route and they have a read, and if it’s open or they like the look, they’re going to take it.
Gn sports
