Josh Gordon Calls the Patriots 'a Breeding Ground for Excellence'
.
Mike Reiss – Veteran cornerback Jason McCourty provides a unique perspective on Josh Gordon’s immersion into the New England Patriots’ culture and how Gordon is quickly becoming a top-two receiver on the depth chart.
McCourty was Gordon’s teammate last year with the Cleveland Browns. …
“I just see a guy that’s having fun,” McCourty told ESPN.com. “I remember when he first got back last year, you could see he missed football. I think, now, you see a guy that’s settled in here, and he looks comfortable within the offense.
“I think at this point, he’s just one of the guys, and I think that’s pretty cool for him, that you’re not isolated, you’re not being talked about, you’re just showing up to practice and doing the same thing that every guy in the locker room is doing.” …
From Gordon’s viewpoint, he hasn’t had any choice but to be swept up in the current of how the Patriots go about their business.
“Everybody’s bought in, it’s a great space and environment to work, to focus and lock in,” he said. “It’s a breeding ground for excellence, so you can’t do anything but get involved and help become a part of it, really.” …
Gordon and Brady have formed an instant connection, which has transferred onto the field, where Gordon has seen a recent spike in playing time. After playing 15 and 18 snaps in his first two games, he has played 60 and 64 in each of the past two weeks and is coming off his first 100-yard receiving game in an Oct. 21 win at Chicago.
“I just think it’s so impressive, in my view, what he’s done in a short period of time and how he’s assumed this specific role in our offense,” Brady said. “That’s very challenging to do. The receiver position in our offense takes years for most guys to understand and learn nuances and intricacies of not only our plays, but how to get open within the scheme, how to gain my trust.”
I’ll admit the last 18 hours or so have been all about the Red Sox. Though to be fair to me, we had to endure over 600 days without a Duckboat parade and I had to soak it in for as long as I could. But it’s back to work now and I needed something to transition me back to the Patriots before the kickoff tonight. And this most assuredly is doing the trick.
How much win is packed into these few quotes?
“I just see a guy who’s having fun.”
“He missed football.”
“He’s just one of the guys.”
“It’s a breeding ground for excellence.”
“How to gain my trust.”
If these quotes came in pill form, I would grind them up, melt the power on a spoon and inject the liquid straight into my heart. Not to mention the stats about Gordon’s reps going from 15-18 a game to in the 60s, meaning virtually every down. Even when they go heavy with 22-personnel, he’s on the field. It’s just incredible that he’s progressed this far this fast.
Remember when he was first brought in here and the general reaction was rampant skepticism? Justifiably so, given his history? I’d be lying if I said I had any optimism other than the cautious variety. My first reaction was that it was a classic Belichick high upside/zero downside move. But the chances of it actually working out were at Powerball-level odds. To expect a guy to come from the Factory of Sadness to jumping on the Patriots express train in the middle of the season, pick up the calls, the reads, the nomenclature, all while developing a chemistry with Brady and staying away from the Chronic was a big ask. Not impossible. But the odds Gordon would go the way of Ochocinco, Doug Gabriel or Joey Galloway were far greater than him being the next Randy Moss. Or even Malcolm Mitchell.
But right now, as it stands, five weeks or so after he landed at Logan, this is the best case scenario playing out before our eyes. Beyond the wildest expectation of even the most shameless homer like me. Belichick has a chick-like soft spot for the archetype of The Bad Boy with the Troubled Past Who Can Be Redeemed Through the Power of Love. It doesn’t always work out. For example, Albert Haynesworth was never going to be “fixed.” But when it does, there is nothing more gratifying. And reading this you can’t help but think Josh Gordon has found the love he needs in Foxboro. I guarantee he takes a flamethrower to the Bills tonight. Patriots by a million.