Cris Carter Offers Hard Truth About Josh Gordon’s Impact With Patriots
Josh Gordon might help the Patriots this season, but as Cris Carter noted Monday on FS1’s “First Things First,” it’s unreasonable to expect the beleaguered wide receiver to single-handedly boost New England’s sputtering offense.
For one, Gordon is just getting up to speed with the Patriots’ playbook, likely explaining why he didn’t suit up Sunday night in New England’s 26-10 loss to the Lions in Detroit.
And two, Gordon has played in just 11 NFL games since the 2013 season thanks to multiple failed drug tests that resulted in multiple suspensions during his time with the Cleveland Browns. As such, there’s a good chance he’ll still be shaking off some rust even when he does debut with the Patriots.
"We shouldn't be expecting Josh Gordon to run out there and be some knight in shining armor on a white horse and save the Patriots. No." — @criscarter80 pic.twitter.com/ye2OXw6HMF
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) September 24, 2018
Of course, Gordon is a physical freak with sky-high potential, evident by his 87-catch, 1,646-yard, nine-touchdown breakout in 2013. There’s reason to believe he’ll thrive in New England with quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Patriots fans — and fantasy football owners — just need to temper their expectations. The bigger boost on offense could come from a familiar face in Julian Edelman, who will serve the final game of his four-game suspension this Sunday before returning in Week 5.
