#christian-gonzalez

#christian-gonzalez

Although there was some hope that Christian Gonzalez would return to Patriots practice last week since he was on the sideline for their season opener against the Raiders, the cornerback did not return and was ruled out of their Week 2 contest against the Dolphins days before they headed to Miami.

As the Patriots were preparing for their Week 1 matchup with the Dolphins on Sunday, a game that is widely being considered a must-win showdown to keep their season on track, they faced the unfortunate circumstances of dealing with more injured players whose absence could make a significant negative impact on their chances to walk out with a win. One of those players is cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who hasn't practiced with the team since July 28, when he injured his hamstring.

The Raiders are coming to town with a new head coach (Pete Carroll) and a new quarterback (Geno Smith) as they give this New England secondary its first test of the season. Smith led the Seahawks to a Week 2 overtime win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium last season, posting 327 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers on 33 of 44 passing.

"It's a hard system that they run, so he's definitely like following a lot of No. 1 receivers," Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson said of Gonzalez. "... that's always going to be a challenge when you have to go against No. 1 receivers every single game."