Mike Vrabel just provided the worst update possible on Christian Gonzalez

"The Patriots' defense was a prime focus of Sunday's disappointing loss to the Raiders for a number of reasons, not all of which were positive. But there was a lot of hype coming out of the game surrounding the impressive showings by Harold Landry, who led the league in sacks with 2.5, and Milton Williams, who had one of the best pass rush win rates of all Week 1's slate of games."

"However, the secondary wasn't as effective, as they allowed six plays of 20+ yards throughout the game, enabling QB Geno Smith to complete 24 of 34 passes for 362 yards and a touchdown, in addition to four receivers finishing the game averaging 20+ yards per reception. It was immediately apparent that they were missing the shutdown abilities of Christian Gonzalez, who appeared on the sideline during the game to support his teammates, so it seemed like he might be on his way back this week."

"He hasn't practiced since July 28, so he'd need to be back with the team early in the week to ensure he had enough time to get back into the swing of things. It looked like that was a good possibility when the Patriots released training camp standout cornerback DJ James on Tuesday, but Mike Vrabel told reporters that Gonzalez isn't expected at practice on Wednesday, which would be an indication that he won't be suited up against the Dolphins."

The Patriots' pass rush featured standout performances from Harold Landry and Milton Williams, with Landry recording 2.5 sacks and Williams posting one of the best Week 1 pass-rush win rates. Both players validated their free-agent signings, and Williams received the richest contract in team history. The secondary allowed six plays of 20-plus yards, enabling Geno Smith to complete 24 of 34 passes for 362 yards and a touchdown while four receivers averaged 20-plus yards per catch. Christian Gonzalez remains sidelined with a hamstring injury and has not practiced since July 28, and Mike Vrabel indicated he is not expected at Wednesday practice, casting doubt on a Week 2 return against the Dolphins.

Read at Musket Fire