It was a rough Week 3 for the New England Patriots, who lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-14, dropping them to 1-2 on the season. Following the game, the main story was the Patriots' five turnovers, with two happening near the goal line. While the turnovers received most of the attention after the game, the secondary also had a tough day. Fortunately for Patriots fans, Christian Gonzalez shared some news after practice about his possible debut this season.
Patriots News: Christian Gonzalez Closing in on Return
Following practice, Gonzalez said he was excited when asked about playing in Week 4. If Gonzalez does suit up, it will be his first game of the season since suffering a hamstring injury. After his stellar play last season, Gonzalez's return to the field would be a huge boost to the secondary, which has seen its fair share of struggles to begin the season.
Gonzalez initially suffered a hamstring injury at the beginning of training camp, with the immediate hope being that he could return for the team’s opening game of the season against the Las Vegas Raiders. Ultimately, that wasn’t the case, with Gonzalez missing the first 3 games of the season. The first sign of good news came during Week 3, when Gonzalez began practicing for the first time since the injury.
If a Week 4 return happens for Gonzalez, it would be against the 1-2 Carolina Panthers, who shut out the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3, 30-0. Gonzalez would most likely cover the Panthers' top wide receiver, rookie Tetairoa McMillan, who’s been off to a solid start to his career. While the Panthers haven't had the best start to the season, following a strong performance last week, the Patriots can't overlook them, or they could easily fall to 1-3.
While Patriots fans will have to see how the week goes for Gonzalez practice-wise, his getting closer to a return is great news for the defense. With the way the defensive line has played to start the year, the return of Gonzalez to the defense could help spark an inconsistent offense. The Patriots will return to action on Sunday, Sept. 28, when they host the Panthers.