FOXBORO, Mass. — It didn’t take Josh Gordon long to take up residence in Tom Brady’s circle of trust.
Brady’s favorite target in Sunday night’s thrilling 43-40 win over the Kansas City Chiefs was Gordon, who had by far the busiest game of his young New England Patriots tenure.
Gordon was targeted a team-high nine times, finishing with five catches for 42 yards. He also drew a 37-yard pass interference penalty that set up the first of two Sony Michel touchdown runs.
“It was fun, honestly,” Gordon said after the game, his third since being traded to the Patriots last month. “I think we were preparing for that all week at practice. I was expecting a little heavy of a workload, so I was just glad to have the opportunity to go out there and play. I had fun. I enjoyed it. I appreciate Coach (Bill Belichick) giving me the opportunity.”
Gordon saw his playing time increase exponentially Sunday. After playing 18 offensive snaps against the Miami Dolphins and 18 against the Indianapolis Colts, he played 63 of a possible 78 against the Chiefs. That shift resulted in a drastic reduction in snaps for fellow wideout Phillip Dorsett, who was on the field for just three after playing 40-plus in each of the team’s first five games.
Brady has spoken in glowing terms about the bond he’s forged with Gordon, but the two did appear to get their signals crossed on multiple incompletions Sunday night. Gordon chalked those up to “growing pains,” and Brady said he’s confident their connection will continue to grow with time.
“Yeah, we’re working at it,” Brady said. “I mean, I think he’s only been here for four weeks, something like that, three weeks. So, I actually think it’s pretty impressive what he’s done — to come out and play as much as he’s played. Our offense is certainly not easy. So we’re just building on it. We’re going to work at it every day, try to get better, and I have no doubt we’ll be on the same page as the season goes.”
