The New England Patriots survived Week 4 without their best defensive player. Star cornerback Christian Gonzalez couldn't suit up for the big win over the Buffalo Bills because of a shoulder injury, but the secondary did just enough to get the job done.
Carlton Davis had an amazing performance against Joe Brady's offense, giving up just one catch on two targets for 11 receiving yards. Charles Woods, however, left much to be desired, catching 2 of 3 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, while allowing a 156.3 passer rating.
While facing Kirk Cousins is an obvious step down in class from Josh Allen, Klint Kubiak has the Raiders' offense firing on all cylinders. That's why Gonzalez's likely absence in Week 5 could trouble for Mike Vrabel's defense.
The Patriots will be seriously lacking without Christian Gonzalez on Sunday
Through three games, Gonzalez held opposing passers to just six receptions on 17 targets (35.3 percent) for 38 yards and a 44.0 passer rating. He also has two pass breakups and has yet to give up a touchdown.
The only silver lining is that the Raiders' passing game runs through the tight ends. So the Patriots might get by lining up Davis against Tre Tucker, their lone threat at wide receiver, while the safeties and linebackers try to contain Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer.
Even so, Cousins is a dangerous quarterback when the play-action game gets into a rhythm, and he can still sling the pigskin downfield. He's up to 1,026 yards, 11 touchdowns, and four picks, and Woods has already proven to be a liability and a big-play risk.
The Raiders are scoring 28.8 points per game, and Cousins averages 250.0 passing yards per game.
You don't have to be a football savant to realize that a team needs one of its best players; that's just common sense. That said, Gonzalez's ability to do a little bit of everything is perhaps his most underrated trait—he's not just good at shadowing opposing defenders and using his long strides to mess with receivers' timing.
The Patriots have also used him in the slot and near the box, though in limited opportunities, and his big frame could be handy against a sturdy, physical playmaker like Bowers. He might even be the Patriots' best guy for the job.
Whatever the case, the Patriots need to think about the bigger picture, so there's no point in rushing their defensive cornerstone back onto the field, especially after getting him a big payday. Hopefully, the secondary will hold on without him again.
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