The New England Patriots just dropped a bomb at Gillette Stadium, getting absolutely shelled 45-27 by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. And the kicker? This is coming from a team that’s dishing out a ridiculous $57.4 million on their cornerback room this year, leading the entire NFL in spending at that position. We’re talking 22.8% of their active roster cash, all for a unit that looked anything but dependable against the Packers’ air attack.
The Packers Put On An Absolute Air Show
Green Bay’s passing game wasn’t just good, it was borderline disrespectful. Packers quarterback Jordan Love carved up the Patriots secondary, completing 23 of his 29 passes for a staggering 372 yards and three touchdowns. Just six incomplete passes all day! Love’s biggest weapons were his receivers, Matthew Golden and Christian Watson, who both went off for career highs. Golden racked up 164 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Watson snagged 171 yards and a score himself. Combined, those two monsters pulled in 17 receptions for 335 yards and two touchdowns. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel didn’t mince words, blaming “the X-plays,” referring to the six explosive plays of 20 or more yards his defense gave up through the air. Vrabel straight up said, “Just the X-plays. When you know that [Green Bay] leads the league in X-play passes. And that’s a huge key. That’s the difference in the game.” It’s tough to argue when you see the numbers.
Christian Gonzalez’s Rough Day
You can’t talk about the Patriots’ cornerback woes without talking about Christian Gonzalez, the guy who just inked a four-year, $135 million contract extension this past summer. Yeah, that guy. According to PFF, Love specifically targeted Gonzalez, and it paid off huge for the Packers. Gonzalez allowed nine catches on 10 targets for 177 yards and a touchdown. Ouch. Vrabel called it out directly: “When your best players don’t play good, you don’t have much of a chance in this league. So, we expect a lot more. [Gonzalez] expects a lot more. We need more from him and everybody else. It wasn’t just him. Again, we have to be able to coach and be prepared, and then we have to execute.”
The Packers started their aerial assault early. Love connected with Golden on back-to-back passes for 65 yards on Green Bay’s first drive, pushing them right into the red zone. Then, Gonzalez nearly picked Love on a pass to Golden, but a defensive pass interference flag wiped it out. Just two plays later, a coverage bust left Golden wide open for a touchdown. Gonzalez and Marcus Jones were matched up in a two-receiver set, with Watson picking both cornerbacks, making them anticipate an inside route from Watson instead of Golden’s quick slant. Gonzalez owned it, saying, “That’s just on me.” He also admitted, “They did a good job. [Golden] came out and ran good routes … Love was able to get him the ball. I just have to be able to finish and make those plays … So, it’s not the end of the world. I had a bad game. I’m not shaken up by it. I’m not too worried about it. I’ll move on and be ready for next week.”
It was a brutal outing for a highly paid unit and their star player. Gonzalez says he is not shaken up and will be ready for next week, but the film from this game is going to be a tough watch for the Patriots’ defensive backfield, especially considering their league-leading investment.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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