Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez has had quite the litany of tests to begin his NFL career.
Matchups against AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, Tyreek Hill, Garrett Wilson, and CeeDee Lamb highlighted his injury-shortened rookie campaign, while a dominant performance against the Bengals Ja’Marr Chase in Week 1 in Cincinnati had fans and media pundits alike chomping at the bit for his contest versus DK Metcalf this Sunday.
On the surface, Metcalf hauled in 10 catches for 129 yards and a score that stemmed from a coverage bust that Gonzalez was technically involved in. After the game, however, safety Kyle Dugger took full responsibility for it and freed No. 0 of any blame.
“He’s got all the tools,” the cornerback said of Metcalf following Sunday’s contest. “He’s fast, real fast, physical, smart. You know, he studies a lot of film, you can see how he plays. You know, he’s been in the league, so he’s done it, he’s done it against multiple different corners. That’s what he does.”
Despite Metcalf’s solid performance, Gonzalez was a competitive matchup upon further review—even if it took time for the corner to settle in.
Metcalf is one of the most physically intimidating players in football. The 6’4”, 236 lb blazer plays with a mean streak, and he’s known for bullying receivers as both a receiver and blocker. Gonzalez likes to get his hands on opponents, but press is rarely a wise strategy against Metcalf.
Early on, that was reflected in the former Oregon Duck being thrown to the ground and losing multiple reps. Luckily, Geno Smith either didn’t find his receiver or couldn’t connect on these plays.
DK Metcalf set the tone early against Christian Gonzalez pic.twitter.com/qcz4WO2H22
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 16, 2024
Deatrich Wise kept a TD off the board with this timely pressure pic.twitter.com/9QtxqHynVM
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 16, 2024
As the game progressed, Gonzalez found his way, and by sticking with his technique and remaining confident in his skill set, putting some smooth, reps on tape. Watch his hips here as he breaks down against Metcalf on a curl route:
DK Metcalf is a unicorn, and he won the physical battle with Christian Gonzalez early vs man
But Gonzo showed what makes him special by trusting his fluidity and leverage, playing off, and working to drive on routes
Gave up two just grabs, and one was a vet push-off pic.twitter.com/KuOZviCssV
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 16, 2024
Metcalf imposed his will early, but Gonzalez’s ability to mirror the receiver and play the catch-point evened the odds. The corner made a handful of key tackles and an A+ play on a critical deep pass break-up:
DK Metcalf asserted his dominance early, but Christian Gonzalez paid it forward after successfully switching up his approach
Gave himself a chance to affect the catch point and, in this case, let the WR self-destruct pic.twitter.com/LNXBIVqHUC
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 16, 2024
Christian Gonzalez squeezing DK Metcalf's vertical route, getting his eyes to the ball, and becoming the receiver pic.twitter.com/UEAUlYJmfE
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 16, 2024
When one-on-one against Metcalf, Gonzalez allowed three catches on six targets for 24 yards, including his pass breakup and two drops. Two of those grabs went for conversions, including a scramble drill after the two-minute warning and a curl target during overtime.
“He’s a great receiver,” Gonzalez said of Metcalf as he stood at his locker following the loss. “I have fun out there doing it. He’s one of the league’s best, so I feel like I did alright, not going to say I had a perfect game, there’s never a perfect game. He made plays, I made plays. But, you know, the main thing is we didn’t win, so besides that it doesn’t really matter.”
It doesn’t get any easier for Gonzalez in Week 3, as the Patriots are headed to New York for a quick turnaround against Garrett Wilson and the Jets on Thursday night.
The last time these two squared off, Wilson caught just five passes for 48 yards. We’ll see if he can shut him down again in Vol. 2.
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