Following two consecutive wins, the New England Patriots will look to continue the win streak when they make the trip to take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 6 on Sunday, Oct. 12. After a rocky start, the offense is starting to come together, led by the play of Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs. Defensively, the team has looked much improved compared to last year and was even better once Christian Gonzalez returned from his hamstring injury that cost him the first 3 games of the season. Unfortunately for the Patriots, Gonzalez might not be 100% healed from the injury.
During the Patriots' practice on Thursday, Gonzalez was a limited participant due to his hamstring. Gonzalez suffered his hamstring strain during the beginning of training camp, which kept him from practicing until Week 3. He'd make his season debut in a 42-14 Week 4 win against the Carolina Panthers. While Gonzalez being a limited participant in practice might worry fans, it looks to be that he is following head coach Mike Vrabel's recovery plan.
Patriots Put Christian Gonzalez on Practice Plan
After practice today, cornerback coach Justin Hamilton spoke about Gonzalez and the plan he's following. Hamilton would explain that everything with Gonzalez is "for him to just be able to get to the pace that he can go at, to be able to get out there when we are in the speed periods of practice." Due to the nature of hamstring injuries and being easy re-aggravated, it seems like the Patriots are being cautious with Gonzalez.
Taking things slow with Gonzalez is the right move, as he is very important to the defense, being the team's top corner. The priority going forward should be to make sure Gonzalez won't re-injure his hamstring. Alex Austin would be the next man up if Gonzalez were to miss more time due to injury.
This would be the worst time for Gonzalez to get hurt again, with the Patriots gaining momentum and looking to make a push for the postseason. Hopefully, Vrabel's plan for Gonzalez will help keep him healthy and on the field. If Gonzalez does end up missing time, the Patriots could look at a former corner who is still sitting in free agency.