Not many people expected the Josh Gordon experiment to work out for the New England Patriots, but the wide receiver has made his doubters look foolish so far.
The star receiver has been an important part of New England’s offense ever since the Patriots acquired him prior to Week 3, and he had another productive game Sunday when he caught three passes for 58 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots’ 24-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings at Gillette Stadium.
While it wasn’t Gordon’s best game from a numbers standpoint, he appeared to have a deeper understanding of the route tree and his 24-yard touchdown catch put New England on top for good.
On Monday, head coach Bill Belichick praised the 27-year-old during his weekly radio interview with WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni and Fauria.”
“Well, Josh has done a good job for us since he’s been here,” he said, as transcribed by WEEI. “He’s worked hard to learn the offense, a lot of new things that he’s had to adjust to. He’s been consistent and dependable on the field and off the field. We’ll just have to see how it goes. Keep doing it. He’s done a good job for us. He’s certainly helped us move the ball and help us win some games. If he continues to do that, great.”
In nine game this season with the Patriots, Gordon has grabbed 34 passes for 605 yards and three touchdowns. He has become one of the Patriots’ most important offensive weapons, giving quarterback Tom Brady a dynamic downfield threat to stretch the defense. Gordon’s ability to take the top off the defense gives Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski and James White more room to work in between the numbers, and his big-play potential makes New England’s offense more lethal than it was before his arrival.
