Tag: Christian Gonzalez

3 players with Patriots ties make Bill Belichick’s Midseason All-Star Team

The Patriots are well-represented on Bill Belichick’s Midseason All-Star Team

Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick named three of his former NFL draft picks to his Midseason All-Star Team.

Defensive end Keion White, cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and former Patriots kicker Chad Ryland, who is now with the Arizona Cardinals, were all named to the team.

White has recorded four sacks and 38 combined tackles on the season, while Gonzalez has established himself as one of the best corners in all of football. The former University of Oregon standout is having another solid year, tallying 40 combined tackles and an interception in nine games played.

Meanwhile, Ryland has made a major impact on the Cardinals. The 2023 fourth-round draft pick has made 10-of-11 field goals and all nine of his extra points. He was most recently named the Special Teams Player of the Month for October.

White and Gonzalez are becoming defensive cornerstones for the organization, and Ryland is finding tremendous success after a change of scenery.

It just goes to show Belichick’s imprint on the game is still very much alive, even when he’s away from coaching.

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Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez teases Pac-12 rivalry for Week 10 match

Christian Gonzalez is ready to test himself against Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez had high praise for Chicago Bears rookie receiver Rome Odunze ahead of Sunday’s Week 10 matchup between the Patriots and Bears.

Gonzalez, a former Oregon standout, teased a Pac-12 rivalry with Odunze, who played at the University of Washington. He faced Odunze and his current teammate, Patriots wideout Ja’Lynn Polk, in 2022.

Odunze has become an important part of the Bears’ offense with 25 catches for 391 yards and a touchdown. He is coming off a career game against the Arizona Cardinals where he recorded five catches for 104 yards.

“(Rome Odunze), he’s a great receiver,” Gonzalez said, when appearing on WEEI’s “Jones and Keefe.” “He brings a lot to the table. He’s big, fast, smart, can run routes. I’ve got one of his teammates over here with me. I always give him smack about (University of Washington) because we don’t like UW. But, he’s a great receiver. Him, Keenan (Allen). I mean, we’re excited for the challenge.”

This time, Polk will be on Gonzalez’s side for the smack-talking. It’ll be interesting to see who Gonzalez matches up with in the game considering the Bears have multiple receivers that can hurt opposing defenses, including Odunze and six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen.

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Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez earns high praise from All-Pro WR

Christian Gonzalez is turning heads at the highest levels

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was once again singing the praises of New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez in a Snapchat post.

Gonzalez is in the middle of a stellar season. He has recorded 40 tackles, six pass deflections and an interception on the year. His most impressive outing recently was holding New York Jets All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams to zero catches on four targets in Week 8.

Gonzalez has also had success in guarding Hill, who recorded just two catches for 34 yards on five targets when one-on-one with the Patriots’ star corner. He has gained a reputation for guarding the top opposing wide receivers, and now, they are taking notice.

“I’ll say it again this young man got a shiny future,” Hill posted.

Gonzalez has developed into a cornerstone piece for the Patriots’ secondary. The defense has struggled at times this season, but the former Oregon standout has continued to prove why he was one of the biggest steals of the 2023 NFL draft.

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Patriots CB coach explains why Christian Gonzalez is a ‘unique’ corner

Mike Pellegrino explains what sets Christian Gonzalez apart at corner

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez has continued to impress in his second NFL season. Patriots cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino even went as far as calling him a “unique” corner.

Just take a look at what he was able to do against the likes of New York Jets star receiver Davante Adams last week. When matched one-on-one with Gonzalez, Adams had four targets and zero catches.

Gonzalez has developed a reputation for being able to lock up the opposing team’s top receiver. He has 54 tackles, one sack, two interceptions and four pass deflections so far this year.

“He’s got that dawg mentality of ‘not going to let this guy win.’ He wants to be great, and he does all the extra things to be great,” Pellegrino said in a video posted by the team. “I’m very impressed with his work ethic. He’ll take extra reps, he’ll take scout team reps. Anything that has to do with football, he’s locked in. He’s very good in the classroom. Very good. Very good at his film study on his own. That is unique at corner.”

Gonzalez has become a cornerstone of the Patriots defensive secondary ever since his arrival last season. It will be fun to see his career trajectory as he continues to improve and eventually hit his peak.

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Patriots have reportedly received ‘amusing’ trade calls for star CB

Christian Gonzalez is not for sale, but that reportedly hasn’t stopped teams from calling ahead of the trade deadline

NFL teams have reportedly called the New England Patriots to inquire about the availability of burgeoning star cornerback Christian Gonzalez ahead of the trade deadline.

NFL insider Josina Anderson reported the news on Friday. According to Anderson, Gonzalez isn’t for sale, and the Patriots found the calls “amusing.”

New England has obviously turned the page to rebuilding mode, and a player like Gonzalez is someone they likely view as one of the future pillars of the team. It wouldn’t make sense for them to move a top-10 cornerback with multiple years left on his rookie contract.

“I did just speak to a league source who said that the Patriots have been receiving multiple calls on cornerback Christian Gonzalez,” said Anderson. “He’s not for sale, but they find it amusing. Now, they’re still keeping their eye out on the wide receiver, defensive tackle positions, at the very least seeing what talent potentially may arise there.”

A couple of players to keep an eye on that might potentially be on the trade block could be wide receivers Tyquan Thornton and K.J. Osborn.

As Anderson mentioned, there’s the possibility for the Patriots to be buyers as well if the right deal comes along. Wide receiver and defensive tackle, along with offensive guard and offensive tackle, are the main positions to keep an eye on when it comes to New England in that regard.

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Gimme Him: One player Titans would steal from Patriots

The Tennessee Titans need some help in their banged up secondary, making this an easy target to grab off the New England Patriots’ roster.

The Tennessee Titans (1-6) will be back on the field Sunday when they face the New England Patriots (2-6) in Week 9 action.

That, of course, provides those of us here at Titans Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Patriots’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades.

The Titans are a bad football team that could use an infusion of talent at many positions. Coming off a terrible game against the Detroit Lions, the team has hit rock bottom and may need a complete overhaul to fix what is broken.

The Patriots have struggled in 2024, but are coming off a huge win against the New York Jets and have some momentum, but like the Titans, they are in need of talent across the board, making this a difficult endeavor.

While players such as Mike Onwenu, Kyle Dugger and Hunter Henry make some sense and could all fill major roles on the Titans, cornerback Christian Gonzalez would make the biggest impact this week and heading into the future.

With starting cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed (hamstring) and Chidobe Awuzie on injured reserve, the Titans’ secondary is led on the outside by rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr. While Brownlee has played well and looks to be a quality piece moving forward, depth is a huge issue now and in the future.

Gonzalez could solve that problem upon his arrival. A 2023 first-round selection in the 2023 NFL draft, he has the pedigree and talent to be a shutdown cornerback.

The 6-1, 205-pound corner has 28 tackles on the year, but his ability to erase top receivers is much more valuable. He is coming off completely shutting down Davante Adams in a game the Jets had to win. They didn’t, and Gonzalez was a huge factor.

What are your thoughts, Titans fans? Would you pick Christian Gonzalez or steal an entirely different player from the New England Patriots?

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Christian Gonzalez’s eight-word response to shutting out Davante Adams

Christian Gonzalez was dominant on Sunday

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez had the perfect response to shutting out New York Jets All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, following New England’s 25-22 victory on Sunday.

Gonzalez made life difficult for Adams on the field all afternoon. The star wideout could not get anything going against the second-year defensive back. The pair were matched up one-on-one four times, and Adams recorded zero catches in those battles.

Gonzalez is often asked to cover the opponent’s top wide receiver, and he is routinely succeeding in his efforts. The former Oregon star had the perfect eight-word response when asked about shutting down Adams in his post-game press conference.

“I ain’t worried. We won, man. We won,” said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez has struggled at times this season, but overall, he has been one of the team’s most consistent playmakers. There’s hope that Sunday’s win over the Jets could mark a turning point for the Patriots organization.

Gonzalez looked to be in top form, and that could bode well for the rest of the way.

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Texans preparing for standout performance from Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez

Christian Gonzalez might be the x-factor for the New England Patriots against the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon.

Stefon Diggs knows talented cornerbacks. He’s faced ample over his 10-year NFL career, including several New England Patriots stars like Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson.

It’s early in his career, but Diggs knows second-year cornerback Christian Gonzalez could be one of the best he faces all season.

“He’s very impressive,” the Houston Texans receiver said. “He got hurt last year. I was in Buffalo last year, so I watched him—great hips, a strong guy, too. Coming out, he was one of the top picks, obviously. He was impressive in college.

“I’ve been in the league a long time. I done seen a lot of corners, so he’s definitely a hell of an athlete.”

The 6-foot-1 defensive back has lived up to the billing as a first-round pick. Despite being limited to four games as a rookie, Gonzalez didn’t allow a touchdown in coverage and held quarterbacks to a 45.2 percent completion percentage.

https://twitter.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1844465023357431810

So far, Gonzalez hasn’t shown any signs of rust or decline through five games. He has one interception while holding opposing quarterbacks to a 65.2 passer rating and receivers.

Receivers are averaging just 8.3 yards per catch against him. He allowed one touchdown in coverage against three pass deflections.

“All the traits are off the charts with him, size, length, corner. Just seeing his instincts showing up, his ability to make plays on the football,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said.  “You can see leading a lot of one-on-one matchups and he’s able to make plays in those situations.

“He’s doing a really good job for them.”

With Nico Collins on the injured reserve for four games, Diggs will likely draw Gonzalez in coverage. If not, Tank Dell will match up in what could be a long day for the second-year target.

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1842978665065259297

The Texans feel content about their receiving room this season, but most of the damage has come from Collins. Houston must turn to its depth in John Metchie III and Xavier Hutchinson, too.

Last week, Hutchinson caught three passes for 31 yards. Metchie’s caught one pass for a gain of seven through three games.

Gonzalez is going to create problems for Houston’s passing game. Diggs must step up, but someone else will have to take over as a constant No. 2.

“You can’t replace (Collins) but at the same time, we’ve got a room full of guys that are hungry, that want to go in, that want to get their ops,” offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said.

Kickoff from Gillette Stadium is scheduled for noon CT.

Stefon Diggs makes honest admission about Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez

Stefon Diggs had some high praise for Christian Gonzalez

Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs admitted that New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez has been “very impressive” up to this point.

When healthy, Gonzalez has been a problem for some of the top receivers in the NFL. However, he’s never had an opportunity to go head-to-head with Diggs yet.

There was some overlap last season with Diggs still with the Buffalo Bills, but Gonzalez’s rookie season ended after only four games with a shoulder injury. However, everything will come full circle on Sunday when the Texans visit the Patriots.

“He’s very impressive,” Diggs said when speaking about Gonzalez to media members, via KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson. “He got hurt last year. I was in Buffalo last year. …Great hips, a strong guy, too. Coming out, he was one of the top picks, obviously. He was impressive in college.

“So definitely something for us to look forward to, me personally. I’ve been in the league a long time. I done seen a lot of corners. So he’s definitely a hell of an athlete.”

The Patriots will have their hands full in holding off the Texans’ high-powered offense spearheaded by burgeoning star quarterback C.J. Stroud.

But even with players missing at every level, the Patriots defense has fought valiantly through the first five games. We’ll see if that effort continues in Week 6 with the meeting between Diggs and Gonzalez being the highlighted matchup.

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Former defensive MVP shouts out Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez

Former Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore shouts out Christian Gonzalez

Former New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore had high praise for second-year cornerback Christian Gonzalez, following his impressive performance in Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.

Gonzalez had two pass break-ups and an interception in the game. He did a tremendous job of covering both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at different points.

The Oregon product has established himself as one of the top corners in the NFL. Per Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar, he had 21 routes on Hill and allowed only three catches for 55 yards.

“Ok Christian Gonzalez cold blooded keep going youngin,” Gilmore posted on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/BumpNrunGilm0re/status/1843014760956309933

The Patriots have struggled on both sides of the ball in recent weeks. Yet, Gonzalez has been one of the few bright spots for the team. Who better to judge than a former Defensive Player of the Year?

Gilmore was the last great corner to serve in the No. 1 role for the Patriots, and now, it’s Gonzalez’s turn to hopefully lead in the same way.

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