New England Patriots Gameday: All eyes on the status of Josh Gordon

The New England Patriots look to get back to their winning ways Sunday night when they face off against Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions.

The New England Patriots will try to avoid losing back-to-back games in Week 3 when they face off against old friend Matt Patricia and the Detroit Lions Sunday night at Ford Field.

There will be many storylines in this one, but the main spotlight will be on new Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon.

Acquired early in the week in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, Gordon has been the talk of the week. From National NFL pundits to former coaches and players, everyone has an opinion on whether or not the talented, but troubled receiver will be a fit in New England.

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The answer to that question could start to reveal itself on Sunday night against Patricia and a suspect Lions’ defense that made Sam Darnold and the New York Jets look like a potent offense in Week 1.

Following a less than subpar effort in last Sunday’s loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense will be looking for a spark and someone to step up in this game besides tight end Rob Gronkowski. Predictably, that player probably won’t be Josh Gordon. If he is even active, he will probably serve more as a decoy, leaving plays to be made for the running backs coming out of the backfield and receivers like Phillip Dorsett and Chris Hogan.

As far as Brady’s new weapon goes, there is a 50 percent chance he plays. Much of that decision will involve how New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels feels he can use him against Patricia’s defense and how much of the offense he has picked up in a short amount of time.

Speaking to the media Friday, Tom Brady described Josh Gordon as a player eager to learn, but also hinted that there will be limited plays for the talented receiver if he sees the field Sunday night.

"“Yeah, I mean, I think different players are on different work portions of practice,” Brady said in regard to Gordon’s limited status in practice. “Whoever’s in there, I’m trying to work with and any player that’s limited, I’m going to try to throw it to whoever’s in there. So if they’re in there with me, great. If they’re in there with someone else, they’ve got to get their work in. But we’re just trying to get prepared to play.”"

How to watch New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions

Location: Ford Field, Detroit MI

Kickoff: Sunday, Sept 23, 2018 8:20 p.m. ET

TV: NBC (Check local listings)

Streaming: fuboTV

Week 3 Prediction:

Expect the New England Patriots offense to bounce back this week against the Detroit Lions. Despite Matt Patricia being familiar with how things are run in New England, Tom Brady is just as familiar with Patricia’s approach on defense.

There will be too much Rob Gronkowski for the Lions linebackers and secondary to handle. Even with an ankle injury deemed not serious, Gronk will be a force in this game and so will running backs Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead. Brady will use the short passing game to set up big plays down the field to both Phillip Dorsett and Chris Hogan. Don’t be surprised if there are a couple of long shots to Josh Gordon (if active) and Cordarrelle Patterson.

The overall success of the team in this game will focus on the defensive side of the ball. The Patriots will be without Trey Flowers and Eric Rowe, so other players will have to step up to limit a Lions attack that could give them more problems than Jacksonville did a week ago.

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This game has the making of last year’s Week 2 matchup with the New Orleans Saints. The defense will make enough plays and the New England Patriots will walk away with a 38-20 victory.

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