Patriots

Everything Christian Gonzalez said about his NFL debut

Gonzalez's comments after he made three tackles and forced a fumble in his first game at Gillette Stadium

By Khari Thompson

August 10, 2023

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Christian Gonzalez started opposite of Jack Jones at cornerback in his first NFL preseason game, a 20-9 loss to the Houston Texans.

Gonzalez tied for fourth on the team with three tackles. He also forced a fumble by punching the ball out of Steven Sims’s hands after a catch near the sideline.

“Just a route, covered it and went in and was trying to attack the ball,” Gonzalez said. “That’s one of the things we preach on and want to do and I kind of just went along with it.”

Gonzalez said he had fun in his Patriots debut, during which he sported a new No. 19 jersey after wearing No. 50 during training camp.

Gonzalez mentioned the speed of the game, and the atmosphere at Gillette Stadium among the main things that stuck out on Thursday.

“Everything really,” Gonzalez said. “Just the atmosphere, the speed, getting out there and playing with the vets and seeing how they see it, teaching me ways to go throughout the game and things like that.”

With Malik Cunningham spending time at both quarterback and wide receiver, Gonzalez has seen his fair share of the speedy rookie. Cunningham led the Patriots in rushing with 34 yards and a touchdown. He also went 3-for-4 on passing attempts for 19 yards.

“It was real fun to see him come out there and just ball,” Gonzalez said. “It was fun to watch that. Super nice guy, always talking, real high energy. So, to see him go out there and do that was a lot of fun on the sideline to see for us. I’m happy for him.”

Gonzalez said he’s looking forward to watching the game film film because there’s so much more he can learn from the experience.

“I don’t really think I was too comfortable or the game was too fast,” Gonzalez said. “I feel like it was a good learning experience for me. Like I said earlier, just ready to get in tomorrow and watch the film and see what the coaches think about it and see how we can learn and grow for next week.”