What is Chris Gocong? In college he was one of the most feared defensive ends at the Division I-AA level, recording 23 ½ sacks in his senior season. In the NFL, Gocong has been a project.

Now, after a six-tackle, one-sack performance against the Patriots, we're learning more about what Gocong can be.

A playmaker.

"We wanted to move Chris around a little bit and I think he was up to the challenge mentally," said defensive coordinator Jim Johnson after Sunday night's game in which Gocong was used at his base SAM linebacker position, as a Joker blitzing up the middle and dropping back in coverage, and as an outside linebacker with his hand in the ground rushing the quarterback. "Chris is a disruptive player and he can do a lot of things. We had been working on it for a couple of weeks. I felt this was a good chance to see him out there doing that."

LB Chris Gocong

Gocong did it, all right. He buzzed quarterback Tom Brady all night when he wasn't playing in pass coverage, and Gocong offered a glimpse of his versatility and his big-play ability in the process.

Moving forward, where will Gocong play? He is likely to remain more in the traditional role at SAM, but there are going to be times when Johnson will ask him to get after the quarterback off the edge.

Whatever Johnson wants, Gocong said after the game, he will try to deliver.

"It's just a mental thing. It is a lot to learn with this defense," said Gocong. "I feel like it is becoming more and more familiar to me, just being a linebacker. I'm used to basically going in one direction. All my career, I've done that. This year has been an adjustment for me, but I feel pretty good about where I am.

"Going out there and moving around, it brought back old memories. I liked it."

The hardest part for Gocong, as it has been for him making the move from defensive end to linebacker, has been feeling like what he is doing is coming naturally. You can't stop and think in the NFL and then go make the play. You have to be instinctive and do everything right at a very high rate of speed.

Gocong has been a steady, improving player this season, especially against the run. He has been a physical presence and a definite upgrade at the SAM position.

Now, he's adding to his repertoire, which makes him a key player down the stretch for the defense.

"I don't know how it is going to work with Chris next week or the week after," said Johnson. "We know a little bit more about him. He's a smart kid and he is coming along as a player. The more he can do, the more he can help."

For a young man who was challenged every day at the highest level academically at Cal-Poly, this daily test is a different kind of grind. Football isn't all physical at the NFL level, as Gocong knows all too well.

"Things change so much. Jim makes you learn something new every day, but it's getting better and better for me," said Gocong. "There are new blitzes and new looks, things he wants to disguise. That's the hard part. Making it all look so natural is the hard part."