When the Detroit Lions face off with the New England Patriots, one of the matchups to watch is $135M cornerback Christian Gonzalez against the Lions’ star receivers Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Gonzalez noted before the game that both receivers bring different skill sets to the table that make it tough to defend. With St. Brown, Gonzalez is more worried about his mental side of the game.
“I think Amon-Ra, you can kind of tell he plays the game; he’s very smart,” said Gonzalez when asked what he saw from the All-Pro receiver. “I feel just watching film, I mean, he’s obviously a vet. He’s savvy, but I think his mental side of the game is something that’s big, that he uses a lot.”
Gonzalez made a second-team All-Pro in 2024 and a Pro Bowl in 2025.
Detroit Lions WRs Draw Praise from New England Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez
With Williams, Gonzalez is more worried about the speed than the savviness.
“I mean, Jamo can run like crazy,” said Gonzalez on the Lions’ number two threat. “So I mean, they do a really good job of scheming those guys up and getting them touches, so it’s a good offense.”
St. Brown has 61 catches for 657 yards this season. Williams has 28 catches for 468 yards. St. Brown is more reliable down-to-down and has more receptions. Williams is much better on a per-catch basis.
This duo has a pair of big contracts on their own. St. Brown signed a four-year, $120M deal a couple of years ago. Williams just signed a three-year, $80M deal this offseason.
Lions Can Attack Gonzalez
Gonzalez has the accolades and the contract, but his play has not lived up to the challenge this season. The Green Bay Packers relentlessly attacked Gonzalez in their 45-point outburst against the Patriots.
Christian Watson is more like Williams in that he is the big-play threat with speed. He finished the game with seven receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown. Matthew Golden is the closest player to St. Brown. He can win with routes and by getting open in quick spaces. He finished with 10 receptions for 164 yards.
Gonzalez was credited with 11 receptions for 192 yards allowed between the two. So, the Lions can continue to attack Gonzalez and see how he responds.
This is a big game for the Lions. They sit at 6-2, but the Chicago Bears are at 7-2. They are on a bye this week. The Minnesota Vikings play the Green Bay Packers this week. Both teams have six wins. So, at least two NFC North teams will leave the weekend with seven wins.
If the Lions win, they will keep up with the leaders in the division. If not, they will be close to last place in a tight division.
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