Pats Pulpit
For the first time all season, the New England Patriots will have all hands on deck on the defensive side of the ball.
Christian Gonzalez, the team’s best player and No. 1 cornerback, will make his season debut on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Two months after suffering a hamstring injury in training camp, and 11 days after returning to practice, the 23-year-old has been made active for the first time all season.
His level of exposure remains to be seen, but his presence will have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the unit regardless. With Gonzalez set to take over one of the starting spots at cornerback — presumably to go up against the Panthers’ WR1, Tetairoa McMillan — the team will have its original top three at the position available: he will be joined by Carlton Davis as the other outside CB as well as Marcus Jones or Alex Austin in the slot, depending on package and defensive call.
The Patriots’ full game day roster for Sunday’s game looks as follows:
Quarterback (2): Drake Maye (10), Joshua Dobbs (11)
Running back (4): Rhamondre Stevenson (38), TreVeyon Henderson (32 | KR), Antonio Gibson (4 | KR), Jack Westover (37 | FB/TE)
Wide receiver (5): Kayshon Boutte (9), Stefon Diggs (8), Mack Hollins (13), DeMario Douglas (3), Kyle Williams (18)
Tight end (2): Hunter Henry (85), Austin Hooper (81)
Offensive tackle (4): Will Campbell (66 | LT), Morgan Moses (76 | RT), Marcus Bryant (52), Vederian Lowe (59)
Interior offensive line (4): Ben Brown (77 | LG), Garrett Bradbury (65 | C), Mike Onwenu (71 | RG), Brenden Jaimes (61)
Interior defensive line (5): Christian Barmore (90), Milton Williams (97), Khyiris Tonga (95), Joshua Farmer (92), Cory Durden (94)
Defensive edge (4): Harold Landry III (2), K’Lavon Chaisson (44), Keion White (99), Anfernee Jennings (33)
Linebacker (5): Robert Spillane (14), Christian Elliss (53), Jack Gibbens (51), Marte Mapu (15), Darius Harris (42)
Cornerback (5): Christian Gonzalez (0), Carlton Davis III (7), Marcus Jones (25 | PR), Alex Austin (28), Charles Woods (22)
Safety (5): Jaylinn Hawkins (21), Craig Woodson (31), Kyle Dugger (23), Dell Pettus (24), Brenden Schooler (41)
Specialists (3): Andy Borregales (36 | K), Bryce Baringer (17 | P/H), Julian Ashby (47 | LS)
Outside of Gonzalez making his long-awaited return, there are no notable changes to the Patriots’ game day roster compared to last week versus Pittsburgh or what you would expect the team to look like on a week-to-week basis. The biggest absence, of course, is starting left guard Jared Wilson, whose knee and ankle injuries kept him out of practice all week and who will be replaced in the lineup by Ben Brown.
The offensive line will naturally be in the spotlight, particularly given that the Panthers’ Derrick Brown is one of the best interior D-lineman in all of football. Brown’s ability to integrate quickly and show some chemistry with left tackle Will Campbell and...
