Mike Vrabel didn’t sugarcoat what he saw from Christian Gonzalez in the Patriots’ 45-27 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
New England had plenty of issues in the defeat, but Gonzalez’s day stood out for all the wrong reasons. The fourth-year cornerback, who recently signed a contract extension that made him the highest-paid player at his position, got picked apart as Green Bay attacked the Patriots’ secondary. Jordan Love completed 10 of 11 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown when throwing at Gonzalez, blowing past the cornerback’s previous career-worst total of 74 yards allowed.
Vrabel’s message after the game was straightforward: the Patriots need more from one of their top players.
“When your best players don’t play good, you don’t have much of a chance in this league,” Vrabel said. “So, we expect a lot more.
He expects a lot more. We need more from him and everybody else.
It wasn’t just him.”
Vrabel also said the defense’s lack of readiness “starts with me,” but he didn’t back away from the reality of Gonzalez’s performance.
The numbers reflected just how rough the afternoon was for New England’s secondary. Christian Watson and Matthew Golden both topped 160 yards on Sunday, and 105 of Golden’s yards came with Gonzalez in coverage.
Gonzalez, for his part, said he’s not going to let one bad outing linger.
“It’s not the end of the world,” Gonzalez said. “I had a bad game, so I mean, I’m not shaken up by it.
I’m not too worried about it. I’ll move on and be ready next week.”
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Jordan Love Is Giving Packers Fans A Very Familiar Feeling
Jordan Love spent Sunday looking every bit like the quarterback Green Bay has been waiting for, carving up the Patriots in a 45-27 win with a command that felt increasingly familiar to Packers fans. He completed 23 of 29 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, added a rushing score, and kept the offense humming from start to finish in one of the cleanest outings of his career.
The numbers now put Love at the top of the league in passing yards and third in touchdowns, a striking place for a quarterback still shaping his own identity in Green Bay. After the game, he said the performance ranked among the best he has had, and the bigger question for the Packers is how often this version shows up as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Just Sent A Dangerous Message With More Help Coming
The Packers 45-27 win over the Patriots was the kind of statement that travels well beyond one Sunday afternoon. Jordan Love was sharp, the defense kept creating short fields and the offense looked comfortable piling on points while the pass rush and takeaway game kept New England from ever settling in. Evan Williams and Trey Smack also turned in notable performances, adding to the sense that Green Bay is getting contributions from all over the roster at the right time.
What makes the message even louder is what could be on the way next. The Packers are already playing with the kind of balance and aggression that can make them dangerous, and the possibility of Micah Parsons returning only adds another layer to the picture. If this is the version of Green Bay that shows up now, the rest of the league has reason to pay attention to what comes when the lineup gets even stronger. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Roll Past Patriots As A New Depth Concern Emerges
Green Bays win over New England had the look of a team that can beat you in a lot of different ways. The Packers rolled to a 45-26 victory behind a sharp night from Jordan Love, a defense that forced four turnovers, and big contributions from Christian Watson and Matthew Golden as the passing game kept stretching the Patriots until backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor finished things off in the fourth quarter.
The bigger concern for Green Bay came after the scoreboard was already tilted its way. Depth is starting to matter in a hurry, with Josh Jacobs leaving the game and the linebacker group taking hits of its own, the kind of injuries that can change how a team manages the next stretch of the season even after a comfortable win. [Read more 🡒]