Gordon may be boost Browns need

By Nate Ulrich

Akron Beacon Journal

BEREA

As Josh Gordon ran routes and caught passes in the Browns’ field house last week, he reminded everyone attending practice what an elite wide receiver looks like.

He’s powerful and physically imposing, but his movements are smooth and graceful. His speed and agility are glaring when he glides down the field and maneuvers in and out of breaks.

He makes difficult plays seem routine.

“The only other person I’ve ever seen that was a freak athlete like him was [All-Pro cornerback] Patrick Peterson when I was in Arizona,” Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer said. “Other than Pat, I mean, Josh is right up there. The things he can do at his size are remarkable, so I’m glad he’s on our team.”

The Brown have their offense’s most dangerous weapon back because the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Gordon has finished serving a 10-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. The team officially activated him from the exempt/commissioner permission list and waived backup outside linebacker Keith Pough on Saturday.

So what level of impact will Gordon make in his 2014 regular-season debut? How will the Browns (6-4) be affected by welcoming arguably their best player back to face the Atlanta Falcons (4-6) beginning today at 1 p.m. at the Georgia Dome?

And will he prove to be the difference in the final six games with the franchise hunting for its first playoff berth since 2002?

Those questions will eventually be answered. In the meantime, there are several reasons to believe Gordon, 23, will provide a significant boost for the offense.

Options expand

Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan won’t radically change his scheme or philosophy because of Gordon’s return. His offense will continue to be predicated on a running game fueled by zone blocking and a passing attack largely dependent on play-action fakes.

But Gordon, who led the NFL last season with 1,646 receiving yards despite playing only 14 games, gives Shanahan opportunities to ambush defenses in different ways.

“I don’t know how much [the offense] changes,” Shanahan said. “I think it makes things easier. It gives you some different options. Sometimes it can change what coverages you see, and when you see different coverages, then you do have to change schematically with what you’re attacking. You try to get guys who are good players the ball, but also when coverages take them away, it helps other guys get the ball.”

Shanahan’s plays have been able to get receivers open all season, so the possibilities should be endless with Gordon.

“You try to design plays to go to [elite receivers], but if coverages take it away, you don’t just throw it to him,” Shanahan said. “Usually, if they’re not getting the ball, they’re doing their job because a lot of people are taking them away, and they’re opening up other people. That’s when other guys have got to step it up.”

Teammates left free

Like Shanahan, Hoyer doesn’t want to fall into a trap by forcing the ball to Gordon, who had 87 catches and nine touchdowns last season. When Gordon returned from a two-game suspension last year, Hoyer targeted him 19 times. The All-Pro receiver responded with 10 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown in a 31-27 road win over the Minnesota Vikings.

“It was his first game back. It was my first game starting [for the Browns],” Hoyer said. “There was a little bit of throw-it-to-the-most-talented-guy-on-the-field type of mentality, but I think now as far as where I’ve progressed, especially in this offense, it’s more about going through reads and things like that. I think, obviously, you put Josh on the field and see how the defense plays it.”

If the Falcons, whose pass defense is ranked last in the league (281.2 yards allowed per game), choose to double-team Gordon, other Browns receivers like Andrew Hawkins, Miles Austin, Travis Benjamin and Taylor Gabriel might find themselves open more often than not.

“Josh is doubled a lot,” Browns cornerback Buster Skrine said. “He’s a big threat up top, intermediate, he can do it all. So it’s going to change a lot of defenses we’re going against.”

Running lanes open

The Browns, for the most part, have struggled to get their running game back on track since Pro Bowl center Alex Mack suffered a broken left fibula Oct. 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But there are legitimate reasons to believe Gordon’s presence could help rookie running backs Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West do more damage than they have in recent games.

“I think everybody wants to control the line of scrimmage in the game of football,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “There are different ways to do it. One of the ways to do it is to have that receiver that’s going to require resources that aren’t normally given to that position.

“What I mean by that is you’ve got to roll to the coverage and roll the coverage to him, bracket him and give help over the top. When you’re doing that, it opens up other options for your football team. Dependent on how they’re defending that receiver, it can open up the running game.”

The Browns would be overjoyed if opponents stopped stacking the box with eight or nine defenders.

“Anytime you’ve got a guy like Josh, it’s a matter of time before they end up helping with a safety over the top of him,” Shanahan said. “When they’re helping with the safety over the top of a good receiver, he’s not up in the box stopping the run. It helps your number count. It helps things out.”

Questions about strategy

Browns coach Mike Pettine and his staff have spent more than a week attempting to publicly temper expectations for Gordon’s return. Smith and the Falcons, however, don’t believe the Browns will just ease Gordon back into their plans.

“We’re anticipating seeing Josh Gordon out there on the very first play and seeing him out there for the majority of the plays in the ball game,” Smith said. “I would expect Josh to play a significant role in the game.

“He’s a playmaker, and he creates match-up issues for any team they’re going to be going against. I would imagine that we’ll see a lot of him. That’s what we’re anticipating.”