Star Cornerback to Miss Week One: What It Means for the Patriots
Mike Vrabel will be without one of his standout defensive players as he makes his debut as New England's head coach. Star cornerback Christian Gonzalez will be out for Week One against the Raiders with a hamstring injury, Vrabel announced Friday. This is a tough blow for the Patriots' defense, as third-year corner out of Oregon is coming off a season where he earned a second-team All-Pro nod. Vrabel added in his announcement that rookie left tackle Will Campbell is also questionable for Sunday.
Gonzalez had been dealing with a hamstring injury for a long time, having been sidelined in practice since the end of July, but the hope was that he would be ready in time for Week One. With Gonzalez out, New England will likely look to Carlton Davis III to fill the role of CB1. Davis III signed with the Patriots this offseason after an injury-riddled season in Detroit last year. Behind Davis III, New England has Marcus Jones and Alex Austin, who combine for fewer than 20 career starts.
The loss of Gonzalez means that New England will have a harder time stopping the Raiders’ biggest threat. Second-year tight end Brock Bowers is a receiving machine, too fast for a linebacker, too big for a traditional corner. New England will have to rely on their battered secondary to stop Bowers, and we will likely see plenty of safety help, bracket, and double coverages. Bowers is a mismatch like New England’s Rob Gronkowski was in the early 2010s. While Gronkowski retained the elite blocking skills of a tight end, Bowers traded those skills for crisper route running.
Patriots fans should hope that the Raiders come out with a classic Pete Carroll game plan because their chances of shutting down Brock Bowers do not look good. In his time coaching Seattle, Carroll was known for his very run-heavy play calling, especially with Marshawn Lynch. With rookie Ashton Jeanty, Carroll could very well come out on Sunday with a very similar game plan. This would be the best-case scenario for New England, so they can avoid showing the holes in their secondary.
