Gonzalez is meeting expectations.

huevonkiller · Sep 20, 2008

Anthony Gonzalez doesn't care where, inside or outside. The Indianapolis Colts can play him where they want and when.

"You can put me at center," the wide receiver said.

Whoa now, retorted Jeff Saturday, the Colts' Pro Bowl center.

"I don't want that. As well as he played last week, I don't want him getting a game ball at my position."

Not to worry. Gonzalez earned a game ball at his own spot while catching nine passes for 137 yards Sunday during an 18-15 victory at Minnesota. His reception and yardage totals were career highs, but his critical contribution was a 75-yard catch-run-and-lateral with wide receiver Reggie Wayne.

The Colts were down 15-0, in a dead stall late in the third quarter. It was the spark they needed. It was the biggest play of their young season.

Gonzalez is the Colts' No. 3 receiver but he has caught 14 passes for 185 yards. He is tied for fifth in the NFL in receptions and eighth in receiving yards, and his efforts have been timely.

All but three of his catches have produced first downs. Four have come on third down, including the breakout play at Minnesota, a third-and-6.

"A gamer," quarterback Peyton Manning called him.

Gonzalez appreciated that, but he won't let it seduce him. Nor will the game ball or the big game that produced it. Gonzalez is thoughtful, analytical. He's a student, a striver. He has taken a long, hard, honest look at the video. It's his way.

"Numbers can certainly lie to you if you get fascinated with them," he said. "Technique-wise, I thought I was better in the Chicago game (five catches for 48 yards) than the Minnesota game, but from a production standpoint obviously that wasn't the case.

"But I've never been one to look at statistics. I don't have statistical goals. I just try to improve technically. If you improve technically, the numbers generally take care of themselves."

Gonzalez's opportunities Sunday, when Jacksonville (0-2) visits Lucas Oil Stadium, will depend largely on how much the Colts utilize their three-wide receiver set. Gonzalez mans it with Wayne and Marvin Harrison.

He and Wayne alternate playing outside and in the slot. Gonzalez is equally happy in either spot, although he takes special pleasure playing wide because "coming out of college, a lot of people said I couldn't play outside."

Gonzalez caught 37 passes for 576 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie last season despite missing three games with a dislocated left thumb. He considers it a learning exercise. Looking back, he characterized his play as "robotic."

Not this season.

"He did a good job of sensing that Minnesota was doing a good job with the pass rush and altering his routes to depths that helped with the timing," Manning said. "Sometimes you have a 15-yard route and they're blitzing and you have bump-and-run coverage. Maybe I don't have time to get 15 yards. You can cut it off at 13 or 12.

"I think he does have that good feel for the game and what's going on."

Read. React. Adjust. And sometimes ad-lib, like unexpectedly flipping the football to Wayne when you're "in the grasp," and about to go down.

It might not have been a center snap, but it was quite an exchange.
Click to expand...

Source: IndyStar

Vintage · Sep 21, 2008

I liked Gonzalez coming out of college. Quick WR with some speed, but had good hands and ran good routes. Not great size, but then you look at Harrison and even Wayne... and Gonzalez is similar in size too.

I remember Gonzalez said he turned his dorm room into a hyperbaric chamber. Wonder if he has one still...

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Gonzalez is meeting expectations.

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