The Patriots will try to get back in the win column this Sunday vs. the Panthers at Gillette Stadium, and their defense could get a big boost.
Star CB Christian Gonzalez is nearing a return from his hamstring injury. Gonzalez has yet to play in a game this season after injuring his hamstring during training camp on July 28. Officially, Gonzalez is listed as questionable along with edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson (knee) and starting RG Mike Onwenu (shoulder), while rookie guard Jared Wilson (knee/ankle) has been ruled out for Week 4.
Without their All-Pro cornerback, the Patriots defense ranks 28th in expected points added per drop-back through three weeks. New England's defense was better against the pass in last week's loss, where the Pats only allowed 139 passing yards to Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers but getting Gonzalez on the field will undoubtedly be a boost for that unit.
Last Sunday, CB Alex Austin, their top option to be Gonzalez's replacement was called for two third-down penalties in the first half that led to Steelers first downs. Along with Austin having some struggles, opposing offenses have attacked the Patriots linebackers and safeties in coverage, while New England hasn't been able to shut down teams in man coverage like it had envisioned when it signed Davis in free agency to pair the veteran corner with Gonzalez. The Patriots have allowed 9.4 yards per pass attempt in man coverage in their first three games, 31st in the NFL, so Gonzalez's absence has significantly affected the defense.
Now that he's trending toward a return, the question for Gonzalez is how much the star cornerback can play in his season debut. One positive is that the lockdown corner was close to returning to the lineup last week before Vrabel decided to give Gonzalez another week of practice to work his way back. Still, Gonzalez hasn't played a game since last season and missed all but five training camp practices, so conditioning will be worth monitoring.
As one of the best corners in football, one would expect Gonzalez will play as much as his conditioning will allow on Sunday. That said, his snap count could be slightly limited compared to his usual workload. Whether he plays the whole game or not, it will be great to see the Patriots offseason vision come to life. Gonzalez earned second-team All-Pro honors last season, while Davis is a quality starter. By having their cornerback duo shut down their respective sides of the field, it'll allow the Pats to allocate resources elsewhere to pressure quarterbacks and help lesser coverage defenders. Hopefully, that'll lead to better results.
Although a possible return of their star corner is the top story, the Patriots offensive line will be down a starter on Sunday. Rookie left guard Jared Wilson, who has made significant strides in his first season, will miss this week's game due to ankle and knee injuries he sustained in Week 3. Wilson went toe-to-toe with Steelers stud DT Cameron Heyward, allowing only three total pressures against the likely future Hall of Famer.
With their starting left guard ruled out on Friday, the Patriots will likely turn to top backup Ben Brown. Brown started 10 games for New England last season, but all 10 of his starts came at center. Brown began cross-training at guard this summer, earning the top interior backup role. Brown played 22 snaps at left guard in the preseason, but this will be his first meaningful regular season snaps at guard. The fact that Brown is a bigger body at 6-5, 313 pounds makes a move to guard more optimistic.
Overall, the Patriots offensive line has improved after a rough 2024 season. Wilson is a huge part of that improvement, as is No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell at left tackle. New England has also gotten solid snaps from C Garett Bradbury and RT Morgan Moses. As a result, the Patriots are tied for fourth-best in Pro Football Focus's pass-blocking efficiency metric. They'll also face a Panthers defense that is 30th in pressure rate, with only one sack in their first three games, so the Pats O-Line should be able to weather not having Wilson. The Patriots projected starting offensive line is LT Will Campbell, LG Ben Brown, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Mike Onwenu, and RT Morgan Moses.
Next, starting edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson is questionable due to a knee injury. After sitting out Wednesday's practice, Chaisson returned to practice in a limited capacity over the last two days. The free-agent addition has been starting opposite captain Harold Landry, and the tandem is off to a good start this season. Both rank in the top-20 in ESPN's pass-rush win rate metric, while Landry is eighth in run-stop win rate among edge rushers.
If he's limited or can't play, the top options to replace Chaisson are Keion White and run-stopper Anfernee Jennings. Although his season hasn't gone as planned so far, New England still has high hopes for White, who broke out with five sacks and 45 total pressures in 2024. This week, outside linebackers coach Mike Smith told reporters that White remains in the defense's plans.
"I'm glad that he's back because he's going to be a big part of what we do. I see Keion as a starter, even though he's not starting out there with K.C. or Harold [Landry]. Last week, we were just trying to get him in, get his legs back in there," Smith said on Thursday. "Like I said from the beginning with Keion: when it clicks and it gets rolling, he's going to be something special."
White began losing snaps to Chaisson toward the end of training camp because the 2023 second-round pick is learning to be more effective rushing outside the tackle. White is a disruptive interior pass rusher, but he has admitted to being weaker when rushing on the outside, where he's playing more in space and needs to be disciplined with his rushes.
"When you get out there and you see the different things that you get on the edge from the influence blocks to the different looks, and now these receivers are digging you out, and then you've got the zone read stuff — it's a little bit different from being inside. It's starting to slow down for him," Smith explained.
Ideally, White is a chess piece that the Patriots can move around the defensive front. However, his best chance to play is on the edge because New England has stud interior defenders Milton Williams and Christian Barmore rushing inside. The Pats have also gotten impactful play from NT Khyiris Tonga, and fourth-rounder Joshua Farmer is mixing in as well. With so much depth at defensive tackle, it's hard to get White opportunities to rush over the guards, so improving as an edge rusher is his best bet.
Lastly, the Panthers also have some notable injuries. Although things are trending in the right direction for rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan and his calf injury, Carolina ruled out WR Xavier Legette (hamstring), TE Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle), starting OLB D.J. Wonnum (hip), and LB Patrick Jones II (hamstring). McMillan and starting RB Chuba Hubbard are both questionable due to calf injuries. New England will probably see plenty of day-two selections, Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, two edge rushers we discussed as potential Patriots in the 2025 NFL Draft. At receiver, McMillan will likely be joined by slot WR Hunter Renfrow and WR David Moore, while TE Tommy Tremble's workload will probably increase without Sanders in the lineup.
The Patriots host the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
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