Patriots Gridiron News: Josh Gordon breaking out into elite status
New England Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon had his best game in a Patriots’ uniform Sunday night putting the rest of the NFL on notice.
Trust goes a long way with Tom Brady. Just look at the emerging NFL story that is Josh Gordon. In Sunday night’s 31-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers, the New England Patriots wide receiver had a breakout game with five catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.
More impressively, he did it with a dislocated finger suffered in the game. Not only did the performance on the field symbolize the chemistry he is forming with Brady, it also showed his toughness and desire to be out there on the football field.
In fact, Gordon has adapted to the Patriot Way just fine. Winning and being surrounded by greatness can do that to a player. But, it wasn’t supposed to be enough to save a football player whose toughest challenge was off the field. That’s why his value was diminished for a fifth-round pick and a last chance to either make it in New England or don’t make it anywhere.
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Patriots fans are certainly happy Josh Gordon is trying to cash in on his last chance on the field. Unlike with the Cleveland Browns, Gordon is just a piece of the puzzle in the Patriots’ offense and not the entire puzzle. His talent is elite, but his talent alone is not what the Patriots will utilize. It’s his smarts on the field and his willingness to do the necessary things on the field to help the entire team win.
Oh, and learning the playbook as quickly as he has and adjusting routs on the fly is also a tremendous value to a cerebral quarterback like Tom Brady. Gordon and Brady connected on one of the wicked awesome plays of the game. A 55-yard touchdown score that showcased what the Patriots now have in the big wide receiver.
"“Usually it goes to [Julian Edelman]. The corner just flew up on the fake. I just saw Josh so I threw it,” Tom Brady said following the game. “Julian thought I missed him and Josh made a great catch and run. It was a big play in the game. We needed a big play like that.”"
The New England Patriots will need more plays from Josh Gordon going down the stretch, especially with question marks surrounding Rob Gronkowski. It appears he is ready for a bigger role. He is definitely loving the fact that Brady is trusting him to go up and battle for the ball.
"“I love it,” Josh Gordon said. “We talk about it every week in practice. He enjoys doing it, I enjoy doing it. I let him know, ‘If you can get anywhere in the vicinity, I’m going to try to make a play on it and make a good effort to try to go and get it.’ We missed one of them – I was out of bounds – but it’s great that he has a certain amount of trust in me to put it in my direction.”"
Trust goes a long way with Tom Brady and it’s turning a talented wide receiver back into one of the elite weapons in the NFL. Thank you Cleveland Browns.
New England Patriots add talented linebacker to practice squad
The Patriots didn’t make any moves at the NFL Trade Deadline, which was deemed a disappointment depending on who you ask. However, the team continues to make minor moves to add depth and potentially help the team down the road.
This continued on Monday with the addition of former Houston Texans linebacker Ufomba Kamalu to the practice squad.
An undrafted rookie in 2016, Kamalu appeared in 13 games with the Texans last season. During those 13 games, he recorded 11 tackles to go with three sacks.
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At 6-foot-6, 295 pounds, his speed and athleticism impressed the New England Patriots enough to add him to the practice squad. It is the type of move that could come into play if the team suffer an injury or two amongst their edge rushers.