Christian Gonzalez is back on the practice field and already locked onto the New York Jets’ top receiver. Two days after saying he was ready to return from a shoulder injury, the New England Patriots cornerback spent Wednesday describing what makes Garrett Wilson so hard to cover — and why Geno Smith’s careful start could still create chances for New England’s pass rush.
“He can play all the spots on the offense,” Gonzalez said of Wilson. “They move him around a lot, and [he’s] extremely athletic. He makes highlight catches all the time. [I have] a ton of respect for who he is, for the player he is. I’m just excited to see him again, for sure.”
Wilson leads the Jets with 31 catches for 374 yards and three touchdowns on 42 targets through five games. Gonzalez missed Weeks 4 and 5 after hurting his shoulder in the first quarter of New England’s Week 3 loss to Jacksonville, and he said sitting out has been hard. “I’ve been itching, kind of going a little crazy when I’m not getting to play,” he said. “It’s hard. You put in work with all these guys and then you don’t get to be out there with them. But I mean, I’m good now, ready for Sunday.”
Geno’s zero-interception start
Gonzalez’s film study started with the quarterback. Smith has not thrown an interception this season — 102 of 147 for 1,084 yards and six touchdowns through five games — and Gonzalez said the tape shows why. “It seems to me that he’s not trying to throw an interception,” he said. “A lot of times … they’re trying to take shots … and if it’s not open, he’s holding the ball a little bit longer.” That, Gonzalez argued, can help New England’s front. “I think we’ll have a lot of good sack opportunities for our pass rushers.”
He also flagged the Jets’ young tight ends and the backfield, noting Breece Hall’s home-run speed and Braelon Allen’s size if Hall is limited. “Very talented skill group, and obviously Geno is a veteran,” Gonzalez said. “So it’ll be a challenge for us for sure.”
“Adrenaline covers a lot of things”
Gonzalez first thought he was fine after the Jacksonville hit. “At that point, you got a lot of adrenaline. Adrenaline covers a lot of things in this sport,” he said. “So that time I felt good and things happened. So it is what it is, and I’m ready for this week.” He was limited Wednesday after missing two games, while Carlton Davis III and Karon Prunty did not practice.
The 3-2 Patriots host the 2-3 Jets on Sunday, October 18, at 1 p.m. EDT at Gillette Stadium.
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