New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots are looking to get back on track in Week 4 after suffering a frustrating loss in Week 3 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. One of the big questions in the buildup to their upcoming clash with the Carolina Panthers is whether or not star cornerback Christian Gonzalez will be making his season debut.
Gonzalez suffered a hamstring injury back in July during training camp, and he ended up returning to practice just last week. Still, it wasn’t enough for him to play against the Steelers, with the team aiming for him to be good to go for their matchup with the Panthers.
On Thursday, Gonzalez logged his second straight limited practice for New England as the team continues to ease him back into action. According to a recent report, it sounds as if everything goes according to plan over the next couple of days, Gonzalez will be on the field for the Patriots come Sunday.
“Sources: Patriots star CB Christian Gonzalez has made ‘good progress’ in his hamstring recovery and is likely to make his season debut Sunday vs the Panthers,” Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported. “I’m told Gonzalez was ‘close’ in Week 3 and has responded well to the additional work this week, putting him in line to play.”
In his first full NFL season last year, Gonzalez enjoyed a star turn, earning a spot on the All-Pro Second Team for his strong play in the Patriots’ secondary. Without him, New England’s pass defense has been woeful this season, and the hope is that his presence can help the unit get its act together.
Gonzalez still has some hurdles to overcome before getting the green light to take the field, but as of right now, all signs are pointing to him playing. The Pats will take on the Panthers at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, and if they have their best player at their disposal, they should have a good shot at earning their second win of the season.
