New England Patriots - NESN.com
The bad news: The Patriots have one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
The good news: The struggling unit might get its best player back this week.
Star cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who’s recovering from a hamstring injury, practiced last week for the first time since early August but wasn’t activated for the Week 3 home loss to the Steelers. On Wednesday, New England head coach Mike Vrabel was asked whether he planned to “ramp up” Gonzalez’s practice participation this week with hopes of him playing Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.
“Yeah. I think that’s the plan,” Vrabel told reporters.
Vrabel also offered insight into Gonzalez’s inability to return in time for last week’s loss to Pittsburgh.
“Excited about his efforts and willingness to get back and work hard in practice last week,” he said. “ … I made a decision at the end of the week that he needed a little bit more time. And that’s what happens.”
Moments later, during media availability inside the Patriots locker room, Gonzalez reportedly was asked whether it’s fair to assume he’ll play this Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
“I’m excited,” he said, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Gonzalez’s return would be massive for a Patriots defense that underwhelmed over the first three weeks. However, given the tricky nature of hamstring injuries, New England still could exercise extreme caution with arguably its best player.
