New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots have a developing shutdown cornerback. The Los Angeles Rams have two premier wide receivers. That made it a logical move to have Christian Gonzalez shadow either Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua on Sunday.
But the Patriots didn’t utilize their standout corner in that fashion.
Instead, Gonzalez exclusively patrolled the boundary on one side of the field while Kupp and Nacua ran wild on the other side. The duo combined for 13 catches for 239 yards and three touchdowns to spearhead a 28-22 win for the Rams over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
It was a head-scratching move by Jerod Mayo to deploy Gonzalez that way and the coach didn’t give much clarity after the game about his costly decision.
“Look, Kupp had the one reception which was a huge chunk of those yards,” Mayo told reporters, per team-provided video. “Look, going into the game, we have a plan, and we’re always willing to change that look. Like I said earlier, I felt like we were going to be OK. I thought we could outlast them.”
Kupp had a momentum-changing play 50 seconds into the third quarter when he beat Jonathan Jones on a 69-yard touchdown reception. The Patriots had Gonzalez cover Demarcus Robinson on the play since Kupp, who finished with six receptions for 106 yards and two scores, lined up in the slot.
When Gonzalez did find himself matched up on either Kupp or Nacua, he held his own. But Rams head coach Sean McVay made sure that wasn’t a regular occurrence.
“I seen them whenever they were on my side,” Gonzalez told reporters, per team-provided video. “Like you said, I was playing the boundary this game. So, I can’t really focus on the other side. I got to focus on the person in front of me and just make the plays I got to make.”
Gonzalez could have potentially made a bigger difference in a tight game if given more of a chance to battle Kupp or Nacua. But he didn’t let his emotions show about not being afforded that opportunity.
“The coaches came in and told me what the game plan was,” Gonzalez said. “I never look at it as surprised or upset or anything. I’m doing what they want me to do. Whatever they tell me to do, I’m going to go out there and do my best to do.”
