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By Tyler Erzberger
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The Patriots' defense was an iron wall on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Every time Justin Herbert tried to drop back for a moon shot, he was the one ending up taking a shot in the ribs with a Patriot defensive end or tackle ramming their whole force into him.
It was a defensive masterclass on a night when their offense was not at its best, and they steamrolled the Chargers in the second half to move on to the next week, where they will either host the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Houston Texans.
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It wasn't all good news for the Patriots, however, as they lost one of their best players on the team, cornerback Christian Gonzalez, in the fourth quarter of the game due to a head injury.
Things got even worse on Monday, as it was announced that the star defensive back is officially in concussion protocol, meaning he might not be ready or even eligible to play for the Patriots on Sunday in the divisional round.
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A first-round pick by the Pats out of Oregon in 2023, Gonzalez has improved each and every year during the rebuild of the former dynasty. In 2024, he was named an All-Pro on the second team. This year, he was named a Pro Bowler.
As the Patriots have grown over these past three years, so has their No. 1 DB, going from an impressive rookie to the talisman of the team in the secondary.
Without Gonzalez in the lineup, the Patriots have struggled, and if he can't play on Sunday, it could be a significant loss for a team that is trying to make it back to the Super Bowl for the first time since Tom Brady left the building a half-decade ago.
Mike Vrabel and company will have their eyes glued to "Monday Night Football" to see who they will play on Sunday, the time on the day still to be decided. They'll hope that Gonzalez can pass through protocol by Friday to be ready to go for the team's biggest game since the start of the decade.
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