The New England Patriots gave a brilliant defensive performance during their 20-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday’s Week 2 game at Gillette Stadium.
Christian Gonzalez locking down Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf was a huge part of that success.
Gonzalez matched up against Metcalf 34 times — a single-game career high versus one wideout for the Patriots cornerback, per Next Gen Stats.
Metcalf caught just three passes for 11 yards when covered by Gonzalez, and two of those receptions were on screen passes behind the line of scrimmage.
He had a terrible time getting open against Gonzalez, and that plagued the Steelers passing attack quite a bit. Pittsburgh tallied just 3.3 yards per pass attempt.
“I don’t think (Metcalf) had a lot of fun at all,” Patriots safety Kevin Byard told reporters postgame when asked about the Gonzalez-Metcalf matchup.
“I don’t know how many catches he had, but it wasn’t a whole lot. I think anytime I’m lined up in the post, and I see Gonzo out there at number one, or on the outside, I have full confidence that I don’t really need to give him any help.”
Gonzalez signed a massive contract extension shortly before the season opener, and he’s been worth every penny so far.
In two games, Gonzalez has allowed only three catches when he’s been matched up against wideouts Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks) and DK Metcalf (Steelers). Overall, Gonzalez has given up just five receptions for 24 yards on 13 targets in 72 coverage snaps through two weeks.
Opposing quarterbacks have a lackluster 46.6 rating when targeting Gonzalez.
It can’t be emphasized enough how important Gonzalez’s ability to take away the opponent’s best pass-catcher is to the overall success of the Patriots defense. It allows the Patriots to blitz often and be more aggressive in other areas.
The Patriots defense will give the team a chance to win a lot of games this season if Gonzalez continues to play at this elite level on a consistent basis.