The Josh Gordon trade is already worth it. After jumping out to a 24-3 halftime lead, the Patriots saw their lead decrease down to 24-17 at the end of the third. With the game on the line, New England’s offense went back into attack mode. On first and ten from the Colts 34, Tom Brady made history on a spectacular Josh Gordon touchdown reception. New England went on to win, 38-24, but Josh Gordon’s big play was easily the highlight of the game.
Josh Gordon Touchdown Highlight Patriots Thursday Night Football Victory
The Play Itself
The Patriots started off the aforementioned drive with a 16-yard pass to Gordon. Six plays later, the Patriots found themselves with first and ten from the Colts 34. Brady dropped back to pass and, after not finding any of his initial reads, launched a prayer to the endzone for Gordon.
FLASH!
TB12 goes DEEP to @Josh_GordonXII for the TD! #INDvsNE
📺: @nflnetwork + @NFLonFOX
📱+💻: https://t.co/DJUityQHC9 https://t.co/y6yoaRIWAU— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2018
Despite tight double coverage, Gordon adjusted brilliantly to the pass and brought in his first score in a Patriots uniform. It was truly a remarkable play, bringing back memories of 2007 Randy Moss. Gordon is an unquestioned physical freak and is easily the most gifted receiver to wear the Patriots blue since Moss himself. While his off-field issues will always be a concern, there’s no denying the impact Gordon can have on this offense.
With Julian Edelman back in the fold, the Patriots have the tools to recreate a poor man’s version of the Randy Moss-Wes Welker tandem. This doesn’t even begin to mention the fact that the Patriots also have Rob Gronkowski, the best tight end in football, and a strong rushing attack led by Sony Michel and James White.
It’s no guarantee that all these players stay healthy and on the field for the remainder of the season. That said, if they can, there’s truly no limit to how good this offense could be. Tom Brady still looks like Tom Brady, and each of the aforementioned players possess fantastic playmaking ability.
Making History
Back to the touchdown for a second. Not only did Gordon’s fantastic play essentially clinch the game for the Patriots, but it also set a few records. Most notably, Gordon became the 71st player to catch a touchdown pass from Tom Brady. With the touchdown pass, Brady took sole command of the record previously held by journeyman quarterback Vinny Testaverde.
It’s astonishing that Brady owns this record considering he has spent the entirety of his career with the New England Patriots. This truly speaks to both the remarkable longevity of Brady’s career and how he’s always incorporating new players into his offense.
Additionally, Gordon’s first touchdown reception as a Patriot was Brady’s 500th touchdown pass of his career. Brady is just the third quarterback in history to record 500 touchdown passes, joining Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. Drew Brees isn’t far behind, as the New Orleans Saints quarterback has 496 touchdowns in his career.
Other Standouts
Julian Edelman made his long-awaited return to the field. In his first action since Super Bowl LI, Edelman recorded seven receptions for 57 yards. At first glance, Edelman still has his patented lateral quickness and unparalleled chemistry with Tom Brady.
That said, Edelman also had a big drop early in the game and looked rusty at times. This isn’t anything to worry about, as rust was expected after missing over a year of football. This was a solid first game back, and you can expect Edelman’s production to increase as the season goes on.
While Gordon’s touchdown stole the show, running backs James White and Sony Michel were the keys to this victory. White tore apart the Colts linebackers in the passing game, finishing his night with 10 receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. All those totals led the team, as the Colts simply had no answer for White coming out of the backfield.
Sony Michel may have been even better. The first-round draft pick finished his night with 98 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, good for 5.4 yards per carry. Michel looked faster and more explosive on his cuts, as it looks like his knee is returning to full health. With Rex Burkhead and Jeremy Hill on the injured reserve, the Patriots need Michel to be the feature back. So far, Michel is up to the task.
The Bad
While the game was mostly positive, there were a few negative performances. Wide receiver Chris Hogan’s rough season continued, as the third-year Patriot had another bad game. Hogan finished his night with an underwhelming three receptions for 34 yards, but his biggest error came midway through the third quarter.
Brady targeted Hogan inside the red zone, hitting the receiver right in the arms. However, Hogan bobbled the pass, knocked it up in the air, and essentially gifted the Indianapolis Colts a free interception. Rob Gronkowski essentially did the same thing, except Gronkowski finished his night with six receptions for 75 yards. Gronk can be forgiven because he’s producing in the offense. Hogan isn’t. Right now, Hogan is at the bottom of the receiver depth chart, and it’s hard to see him moving up any time soon.
On the defense, safety Devin McCourty had a miserable day in coverage. While he forced a fumble, McCourty could not slow down Colts tight end Eric Ebron. Ebron finished his night with nine receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns, and McCourty was largely responsible for that production. Additionally, McCourty allowed a touchdown reception to backup tight end Erik Swoope. All in all, Thursday night was not a good one for the Patriots defensive captain.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
