WR Josh Gordon, KC (2 Viewers)

[LawFitz]

Check Roto yo. Took my man a day to get Pettine on board.

Speaking Thursday, coach Mike Pettine said Josh Gordon is "maybe little ahead of where we expected."

Gordon practiced Wednesday for the first time since August and it went well, with Brian Hoyer targeting him tons. Gordon's "pitch count" will be raised on Thursday, meaning the Browns will give him more reps ahead of Sunday's game against the Falcons. Pettine's pleasure with where Gordon is at physically and mentally right now bodes well for his chances of seeing something around 75-85 percent of the snaps in his 2014 debut. Although we wouldn't expect a massive game given the circumstances, he's a must-start in season-long formats.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

This week’s message is simple: Don’t over think Josh Gordon. Gordon was not a WR1 in 2013. He was the WR1. His 16.2 weekly points were 0.4 more than Calvin Johnson, and a whopping 2.0 more than No. 3 Demaryius Thomas. Gordon’s 1,646 yards were 10th most all time even though he only played 14 games. You may have heard that statistic 100 times by now, but that’s because it’s never not amazing. I mean, seriously, Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell were his quarterbacks for 13-of-16 games. Think about that.

So Gordon was not some run-of-the-mill WR1 last season. He was historic, and those skills didn’t evaporate while he was selling used cars. By nearly every account, Gordon stayed in shape during his ban, and was at the Browns’ facility on a daily basis. This is why talk of the Browns “easing in” their otherworldly No. 1 receiver isn’t just nonsensical, but frankly, unbelievable. Just ask Falcons coach Mike Smith. "Absolutely I do," was Smith’s response when asked if he expected Gordon to be full go on Sunday. “(He’s) a game-changer. He's a guy that with the ball in his hands, he can make plays. So we're anticipating that we're going to get a full dose of him this week."

Let’s say the Browns truly do want to limit Gordon’s snaps in his return from a 10-month absence. Fine, whatever. You don’t think survival instinct is going to kick in for a team that’s sitting at 6-4 and within striking distance of its first playoff appearance since 2002? If there’s ever been a team that wants to win now, it’s the 2014 Cleveland Browns. But let’s take this hypothetical one step further and say the Browns actually are disciplined enough to keep Gordon on a pitch count. It’s not as if he’s going to be running decoy routes. He’s going to be racking up targets, catches and fantasy points.

God bless Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel and Miles Austin, but they look like college players compared to their 23-year-old, All-Pro teammate. Gordon is going to hit the ground running. Don’t be surprised to find the Browns and fantasy owners on his back.

http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/50197/57/week-12-rankings

 

[Ojaays]

Gordon will lead the team in targets Sunday, and it won't be close.

Just hope Good Hoyer shows up and not Bad Hoyer.

 

[Disco Stu]

You know who else was eased in following His return? Jesus.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

You know who else was eased in following His return? Jesus.

Ppl forget that

 

[Wrigley]

I'm officially excited

That is not a roll of quarters in my pocket

 

[Soulfly3]

from mary kay cabot's twitter

#Brons Pettine on Gordon: "We'll have him on pitch count. There needs to be a progression throughout the week.'' not too much too soon

this guy has proven to be unpredictable with his RB's so far this year, he might be dumb enough to not have gordon ont he field the whole game

Pettine has never seen or coached anything like Gordon.

Wait until he creams his fruit of the looms... his tune will change

Check Roto yo. Took my man a day to get Pettine on board.

Speaking Thursday, coach Mike Pettine said Josh Gordon is "maybe little ahead of where we expected."

Gordon practiced Wednesday for the first time since August and it went well, with Brian Hoyer targeting him tons. Gordon's "pitch count" will be raised on Thursday, meaning the Browns will give him more reps ahead of Sunday's game against the Falcons. Pettine's pleasure with where Gordon is at physically and mentally right now bodes well for his chances of seeing something around 75-85 percent of the snaps in his 2014 debut. Although we wouldn't expect a massive game given the circumstances, he's a must-start in season-long formats.

Honestly... I dont know why anyone questions Soulfly on his mancrush Gordon.

Pettine's jaw is on the floor... Believe me

 

[Dr. Octopus]

If Pettine does that, I wouldn't be surprised to see a new coach in Cleveland next year.

What?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

3rd and 11 at CLE 41(12:08) (Shotgun) B.Hoyer pass incomplete deep right to A.Hawkins.

09) (No Huddle) B.Hoyer pass deep left to T.Benjamin to HST 49 for 23 yards (A.Bouye).

(14:29) B.Hoyer pass incomplete deep left to T.Gabriel.

(13:05) (Shotgun) B.Hoyer pass incomplete deep right to M.Austin.

(10:21) B.Hoyer pass deep left to T.Gabriel to HST 42 for 23 yards (A.Bouye).

(14:10) (No Huddle) B.Hoyer pass incomplete deep left to T.Benjamin [b.Cushing]. Crowell pitched ball back to Hoyer

(3:09) (Shotgun) B.Hoyer pass incomplete deep middle to G.Barnidge (M.Mohamed).

(3:05) (Shotgun) B.Hoyer pass incomplete short middle to T.Gabriel.

36) (Shotgun) B.Hoyer pass incomplete deep left to G.Barnidge (A.Bouye).

(9:00) B.Hoyer pass incomplete deep right to G.Barnidge [b.Cushing].

(8:21) B.Hoyer pass deep middle to T.Gabriel to HST 45 for 35 yards (J.Rolle).

(1:33) (No Huddle, Shotgun) B.Hoyer pass incomplete deep right to A.Hawkins (J.Joseph).

12 deep passes for Hoyer last week. I think he's a thirsty man in the desert, and the water truck just drove up.

FantasyPros ROS rankings are not kind to Hoyer. Anybody giving him a bump with Gordon coming back?

It would be extremely counterintuitive to say that Hoyer doesn't get a bump with Gordon back. He's likely still not going to be a fantasy QB1, because his stats may not increase exponentially (they'll just be shifted more to Gordon's direction), but it's hard to imagine no bump at all.

 

[LittlePhatty]

Limited snaps?

I'm OK with a stat line of 2/160/2.

 

[Soulfly3]

@MaryKayCabot

· 1h1 hour ago
Shanahan on Gordon: "I can tell watching him run, he's come back ready. Can tell it means a lot to him."

 

[Soulfly3]

@jsbrownsinsider

· 4h4 hours ago
Pettine does not want Hoyer to get"tunnel vision" by looking only for Gordon on Sunday in Atlanta.

But how will he have tunnel vision if his reps will be so limited?

 

[georg013]

Soulfly, I have supported you throughout this thread man and admire the guts it took to stand your ground against EVERYONE. However, I need to talk to you about all of these updates... KEEP EM COMIN!!!!!

 

[Faust]

Josh Gordon should have no problems fitting game plan

Excerpt:

How many targets might he get in this offense? The Browns, to this point, run a balanced offense that loves to run the ball -- Cleveland's 324 rushing attempts through 10 games nearly equals last year's 16-game total of 348.

Had Gordon been playing all year, perhaps that rushing total would be a bit lower. But if the Browns truly want Gordon to blend into the offense without making drastic changes, don't expect Gordon to get 20 targets a game.

As one AFC scout pointed out this week, Gordon's skill set fits into any offense.

"Big and fast -- there's always a package for that,” the scout said.

The Browns like to mix up looks. Sometimes they'll go four-wide in empty sets, sometimes they'll push no huddle, sometimes they'll run traditional running sets. Hoyer is good in play-action, which should suit Gordon well because play-action is designed to create one-on-one matchups.

"I think he's going to help in every way possibly because you put him on the field,” Hoyer said. "You put No. 12 on the field, and the defense is going to have to see where he's at. How they want to play him, that's up to them. That's why it kind of comes in with my job as far as still seeing how the defense is playing. Are they going to try and double-team him? And then other guys are open? You never know. It's just kind of play it by ear and get out there and play the game and see how it plays out.”

Don't expect Browns to force-feed Gordon: The Browns have been adamant, and it seems genuine, that Hoyer should throw the ball where the defense tells him to. If Gordon is double-teamed and Andrew Hawkins is wide open, the ball is going to Hawkins.

A covered Gordon is not the same as a covered Travis Benjamin, of course, so maybe the Browns will take a few shots with defenders near and let Gordon operate. But a steady diet of that would go against the principles of the offense.

Shanahan points out the ball organically finds good players without forcing it. Sometimes not getting the ball means you are doing your job. "I think [Gordon's arrival] makes things easier," Shanahan said. "Sometimes it changes the coverages you see."

The Browns like their receivers to play different positions, so expect Gordon to move around -- slot, outside, whatever.

All bets are off with this kind of talent: Hoyer said it best -- the only 'freak athlete' of Gordon's ability that he's ever played was Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson.

The ball seems to find freaks.

"Yesterday at practice every time he was out there the ball mysteriously went his way," said Pettine about Gordon. "Like a kid with a new toy at Christmas.”

Gordon might not play 75 snaps, Pettine said. But if Gordon's really in the best shape of his life, as he said, he'll make it hard not to play him 60 snaps or so.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Yes, Coach and Brian won't be using this Howitzer of a weapon as they head into battle, they'd rather keep using pea-shooters.

 

[newbie_bewbie]

I hope Johnny Football gets to throw to him this season... Johnny + Flash Gordon = League destroyed

 

[jbird]

The news blog says he didn't practice today, non-injury related. What's up with that?

 

[Soulfly3]

250yds v ATL?

Haden says yep...

 

[jbird]

The news blog says he didn't practice today, non-injury related. What's up with that?

Must be wrong. Pettine said they upped his pitch count today.

Thanks. Everything I've been seeing has been so positive for the past 48 hours and then news he didn't practice today threw me for a loop.

 

[Soulfly3]

The news blog says he didn't practice today, non-injury related. What's up with that?

Must be wrong. Pettine said they upped his pitch count today.

Thanks. Everything I've been seeing has been so positive for the past 48 hours and then news he didn't practice today threw me for a loop.

who was the source? mustve been a troll.

Anyways, as I mentioned, Haden thinks Gordon could go for 250yds this weekend lol. LOVE IT.

 

[Ladsud]

Just a blur

https://twitter.com/JeffDarlington/status/535140819565809664?s=17)

 

[mnmplayer]

The news blog says he didn't practice today, non-injury related. What's up with that?

This is common. Flash Gordon is so fast you can't even see him practice most of the time.

 

[Buffaloes]

I wouldn't be shocked at all at 14/28 for 220/1 over the next two games. I don't think that's what Gordon owners are expecting.

I'd be okay w/ 14 catches on 28 targets for 220 and a TD. TD prediction seems low. The rest looks legit, though

 

[ghostguy123]

The news blog says he didn't practice today, non-injury related. What's up with that?

Must be wrong. Pettine said they upped his pitch count today.

Thanks. Everything I've been seeing has been so positive for the past 48 hours and then news he didn't practice today threw me for a loop.

who was the source? mustve been a troll.

Anyways, as I mentioned, Haden thinks Gordon could go for 250yds this weekend lol. LOVE IT.

And HAden is a genius, so...................must be true.

Ever notice when players (PLAYERS) say stuff like this it never happens?? As in, never??

 

[ghostguy123]

I might be the only Browns/Gordon fan who thinks he wont just come right in and run the league

 

[mnmplayer]

I might be am the only Browns/Gordon fan who thinks he wont just come right in and run the league

 

[T J]

I might be the only Browns/Gordon fan who thinks he wont just come right in and run the league

You are definitely not the only one. I have Gordon and will start him but I'll be surprised if he goes over 15 fantasy points in a PPR league this first game.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

Two more sleeps, gentlemen.

 

[georg013]

Remember when we were hoping Gordon woukd check into rehab so he could play another snap sometime in 2016? Now we are praying he scores more than 15 points in two days. Ah the good ol days...

 

[Soulfly3]

Remember when we were hoping Gordon woukd check into rehab so he could play another snap sometime in 2016?

Those were sweet, sweet times.

 

[matuski]

All this hype has me expecting a 2 for 21 yard result.

 

[Soulfly3]

All this hype has me expecting a 2 for 21 yard result.

I dont care if he goes 1 for 2yds (so long as the browns still win)

He's playing and I love it.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

So happy they play in the morning game. I'm going to get in a nice workout and then sit my ### down with my sunday ticket and watch Gordon put on a show!

Guess what kids? 3 1/2 hours of Minecraft! Leave daddy alone.

 

[Soulfly3]

Apparently this game is going to be shown on CBS, as a replacement for the Bills v Jets game

... at least in my area. Hope its true!!!

 

[seahawk 17]

Apparently this game is going to be shown on CBS, as a replacement for the Bills v Jets game

... at least in my area. Hope its true!!!

http://506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2014&wk=12

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

Apparently this game is going to be shown on CBS, as a replacement for the Bills v Jets game

... at least in my area. Hope its true!!!

http://506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2014&wk=12

Great link thanks for this.

 

[Da Gildz]

All this hype has me expecting a 2 for 21 yard result.

Haha, I think the majority of people here will be disappointed. I own Gordon myself but im not expecting a monster performance here. I don't see 2/21 but I also don't see 10/130/2

 

[top dog]

I'm thinking he will under perform expectations a bit. I'm afraid they will limit his snaps. I'm reluctantly starting him over Gronk with my homer goggles pushing that decision. I won't be surprised to see him put up a pedestrian performance.

6 caches 80 yards and a TD. I'd be very happy with that. The best thing going for him is this game is looking to be a shoot out. They are devastated on the defensive line and will have trouble stopping Atlanta. They are going to have to put up points to win.

 

[shadyridr]

Over gronk? Wtf

 

[mnmplayer]

Sunday is not about how much he scores, its all about him being freed to score. The battle to get him on the field was won. That is what matters most.

 

[top dog]

Over gronk? Wtf

I know. I can't help it though. Like I said, homer eyes.

 

[Slider]

I'd start him over Gronk too.

 

[top dog]

I'd start him over Gronk too.

I wish I had your confidence on that. It's a great problem to have... But Gronk is playing out of his mind and has been steady. Gordon is an unknown. We all want him to do great, but until he gets out on the field and we see how this offense REALLY uses him.. It's very hard to tell.

 

[newbie_bewbie]

I'll be happy aslong as he does better than anyone on my bench, which is very likely, even if he only plays a handful of snaps

 

[Sabertooth]

Sunday is not about how much he scores, its all about him being freed to score. The battle to get him on the field was won. That is what matters most.

Not to me. He needs to reward me for my patience.

 

[mnmplayer]

There is a good chance he will as a WR3 with upside

 

[dblock05]

Over gronk? Y'all are high

 

[Soulfly3]

I cant wait to visit this thread after the game.

Can. Not. Wait.

Gonna be so much salt everywhere.

 

[Team Smokin']

I'd start him over Gronk too.

I wish I had your confidence on that. It's a great problem to have... But Gronk is playing out of his mind and has been steady. Gordon is an unknown. We all want him to do great, but until he gets out on the field and we see how this offense REALLY uses him.. It's very hard to tell.

Luxury of starting Gordon with giddy excitement and playing Gronk as our TE.

 

[Buck Bradcanon]

Sunday is not about how much he scores, its all about him being freed to score. The battle to get him on the field was won. That is what matters most.

I read this in Russell Crowe's Maximus Meridius Gladiator voice.