4 Patriots that have stood out the most in Weeks 1-4

Before the start of the 2023 season, there was some excitement about what the Patriots roster would be able to accomplish, especially on defense.

Outside of the universal concern surrounding the unexciting receiving corps, some players added via the draft and free agency seemed destined to be solid contributors. Despite the disappointing start to New England's season, there have been a handful of players whose performances have stood out, whether for good or bad reasons.

With four games completed so far, there is a clear indication of who is primed for a good year and who may not be.

This is just four of those players.

Christian Gonzalez

One of the most heartbreaking losses in recent Patriots history has to be that of Christian Gonzalez, who suffered a labrum tear to his right shoulder against the Dallas Cowboys in week four.

The rookie was highly touted before being drafted 17th overall in this year's draft, and since being named a starter in week one, Gonzalez has more than lived up to all the hype. That's what made it all the more gut-wrenching when it was announced he would be sidelined for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery.

He began his potential Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign covering A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith when the Eagles visited Foxboro. He followed up that impressive performance by shutting down Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, two of the top receivers in the league.

That streak continued when the Patriots visited the Jets, as Gonzalez covered Garrett Wilson for most of the game, allowing just two catches on three targets for 19 yards. It was a vastly different performance for the young receiver, who recorded seven receptions for 115 yards in their last matchup.

Gonzalez was then assigned CeeDee Lamb in week four, holding it down until he suffered his injury late in the first quarter.

He will finish his rookie season, allowing just 11/20 receptions for 124 yards (QBs had a 52.9 passer rating when throwing his way), 17 combined tackles, three passes defended, an interception, and a sack.

Although his season ended prematurely, Gonzalez proved to be exactly what the Patriots defense needed. He began to demonstrate lockdown cornerback abilities and will be a pillar of the secondary for years to come. It begs the question: how did 31 other teams pass on this kid in the draft?

Mac Jones

Unlike the other names on this list, Mac Jones' performance thus far has been on both sides of the spectrum. Through the first three weeks, he was one of the more consistent players on the offense despite the turnovers.

But his uncharacteristically poor performance against the Cowboys last week left an impression on all involved or watching, thus putting more pressure on him this week not to repeat it.

There was a lot of promise for the quarterback this summer with the addition of Bill O'Brien as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, a much-needed improvement over Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. It was clear their working relationship far exceeded that of Jones and the coaches of last season, and his performance during training camp and the preseason seemed to back that up.

But since then, his performances have been inconsistent at best, with costly turnovers and questionable decision-making causing the most concern.

It all came to a head in week four, as Jones not only three a pick-six but also allowed a fumble six and another interception. Because of that, Bill Belichick was forced to bench him in the third quarter, which kicked off a new set of headlines for the following week.

Heading into this game with the Saints, the weight of the world rests on Jones' shoulders. Not only does he need a bounce-back game to help put the Patriots in a position to win, but he also needs it for the sake of his career in New England. He was already rumored to be on a short leash after last season, and his performance against the Cowboys lightly made it even tighter.

Matthew Judon

Much like how his previous two seasons have gone, Matthew Judon was well on his way to having another phenomenal year as the Patriots leading pass rusher.

As the most dominant piece of the defensive line, Judon started the 2023 season hot and looked to be on the path to possibly having the best season of his career. On top of that, his performance in just three games already broke a franchise record.

With his two sacks on Zach Wilson, he has totaled 32 sacks in 37 games, putting him on the top-10 all-time list, pushing Patriots legend Tedy Bruschi to the 11th overall.

It appeared to be an easy feat for Judon, as he's been one of the most consistently effective players on the entire team since signing with the Patriots in 2021.

Now that he will be sidelined for at least the next two months, we'll never know how the rest of the season would've gone for him. It's fair to assume he would continue to be one of the best at the position in the league and likely break more records along the way.

Fortunately, he's signed through the 2024 season, so we will have at least one more year of the fan favorite to see all he can accomplish as a Patriot.

Demario Douglas

After having a breakout summer during training camp, there was a lot of excitement surrounding rookie receiver Demario Douglas.

Although he was a sixth-round draft pick and was initially not as hyped as Kayshon Boutte, he changed the narrative and got the team and fans on his side with impressive performances on the practice field.

He won the coaches over fairly early, seemingly solidifying his roster spot before the preseason even began. Considering how difficult it can be for players to amaze a guy like Bill Belichick, it was very telling of how much faith they had in the young receiver.

In his first game as a New England Patriot, Douglas recorded four receptions for 40 yards, one of which was good for 23 yards. It was an impressive debut that grew anticipation for what we would see from him for the rest of the season.

The game against the Dolphins the following week started similarly for Douglas, but a fumble ultimately recovered by the defense in the first quarter put him in Bill Belichick's doghouse, similar to what happened to Rhamondre Stevenson early in his career.

He was seemingly placed in the infamous Belichick doghouse and wasn't utilized much in the game against the Jets because of the fumble the week before. Fortunately, that didn't last long, as he recorded two receptions for 45 yards in Dallas.

Since the receiving corps has underwhelmed so far this season, there's hope that Douglas will be more involved in the offense over the rest of the season. He's shown to be elusive and successful in gaining separation, which has been the biggest gripe of the receivers so far this year, so there's no reason for Bill O'Brien not to take advantage of Douglas' skillset far more moving forward.