w England Patriots during the early portions of the 2010 season Jon Weeks Color Rush Jersey , the team was lacking a wide receiver to challenge the deep portions of the field on a regular basis. Chad Ochocinco failed to bring this element to the team, while neither Brandon Lloyd nor Brandon LaFell had the consistency to do it each game or even from one play to the next.While Chris Hogan and Brandin Cooks fared well as deep threat receivers in 2016 and 2017, respectively, they did not appear to be suited for this prominent a role in the Patriots’ offensive system. Cooks — sharing his fate with Moss — was since traded away to the Los Angeles Rams while Hogan’s role changed and he is now serving as more of a rotational number three wide receiver.The latest player to try his luck at providing a constant big play presence in the Patriots’ offense is Josh Gordon. When the Patriots traded a fifth-round draft pick to the Cleveland Browns to acquire him in late September, they mostly paid for potential: Gordon had led the league in receiving yards in 2013 but had also served multiple suspensions and was limited to just 11 games between 2014 and getting traded to New England.The gamble, however, paid off for the Patriots. Since arriving in Foxboro, Gordon — who will appear in his 11th game for the team on Sunday — has been an outstanding player in New England and one able to fill the X-receiver role in a way the other players named above failed to do; whether it is due to a lack of size or athletic skills or because of an inability to develop a chemistry with quarterback Tom Brady.A look at the numbers shows just how well Gordon has performed as a big play receiver. Since week four, when he played his first game for the Patriots, the 27-year old leads the NFL in yards per reception: his average catch covers a distance of 18.0 yards, which is more than the Indianapolis Colts’ T.Y. Hilton and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mike Evans are gaining as the next two down the line (17.9 yards per catch).Overall, Gordon has caught 39 passes for 701 yards and three touchdowns ten game into his Patriots tenure. And the Patriots will need him to build on this performance on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After all, New England’s upcoming opponent has performed relatively well when it comes to stopping big plays, but during its current three-game losing streak has been uncharacteristically susceptible to the long pass.Last week’s game against an otherwise moribund Oakland Raiders team, saw Pittsburgh surrender four pass plays of 20+ yards. In order to get similar results and in turn help free things up against a stout run defense, the Patriots will need Gordon to perform well — especially considering that the Steelers will likely put an extra focus on stopping Rob Gronkowski, who has regularly torched their defense throughout the years.If Pittsburgh finds a way to slow Gronkowski down or at least uses additional resources to make life hard for him, Gordon will be in an interesting position: he will become immensely important to stretch the field and get open on intermediate-to-deep crossing patterns, while potentially going against one-on-one coverage for most of the game. So far this season, he has shown the ability to take advantage of situations like this.Teams have zeroed in on Gronkowski, which in turn created opportunities for the team’s other receiving options to make plays. Against the Steelers Kevin Johnson Color Rush Jersey , it might be more of the same for Gordon and New England’s offense. And in turn, the veteran wide receiver might fill the role previously held by Gronkowski when it comes to torturing Pittsburgh’s secondary. [INTERIOR OFFICE - DAY](Bill O’Brien walks up to desk of Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent)O’Brien:Hello, I wish to register a complaint.(Vincent stares at computer, the faint sound of Candy Crush music plays)O’Brien:Hello, miss?Vincent:What do you mean, “miss?”O’Brien:I’m sorry, I have a cold.I wish to make a complaint.Vincent:I’m sorry, we’re just closing for second lunch.O’Brien:Never mind that, Troy, I wish to complain about this cornerback my former general manager obtained not four years ago from this very draft apparatus.Vincent:Oh, yeah Kevin Johnson, corner out of Wake Forest.What’s wrong with him?O’Brien:I’ll tell you what’s wrong with him.He’s dead, that’s what’s wrong with him.Vincent:No, no, he’s resting.Look.(Vincent points to Kevin Johnson, whose eyes are closed.Drool is very clearly coming from his mouth)O’Brien:Look, man, I know a dead cornerback when I see one, and I’m looking at one right now.Vincent:No, no, Bill Joel Heath Color Rush Jersey , he’s not dead, he’s resting!O’Brien:Resting?Vincent:Yeah.Remarkable corner, Kevin Johnson is, beautiful plumage.O’Brien:Weird thing to say, but whatever.The plumage doesn’t enter into it.He’s stone dead.Vincent:Dead tired because he’s resting!O’Brien:Fine.I’ll wake him up if he’s resting.(O’Brien faces Kevin Johnson, who has slid onto the floor of the office in something resembling a puddle if a puddle were in human form)O’Brien:WAKE UP, KEVIN!TIME FOR SCHOOL KEVIN!I’VE GOT A LOVELY SANDWICH FOR YOU IF YOU WAKE UP!(Vincent nudges Johnson)Vincent:See!He moved right there!O’Brien:He did not, you just shoved him!Vincent:I did no such thing.O’Brien:You totally did, Troy!(O’Brien kneels, puts his face right next to Johnson’s face)O’Brien:HELLO KEVIN!! KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!!!(O’Brien shakes Johnson vigorously)O’Brien:WAKE UP, KEVIN JOHNSON, TIME TO SHINE!!!(O’Brien lifts Johnson to his feet.Johnson promptly falls to the ground with a comical thud)O’Brien:Now that’s what I call a dead para—I mean—cornerback.Vincent:No, he’s just stunned is all.O’Brien (groans):I’ve had just about enough of this.This cornerback is definitely deceased.And when we drafted him in 2015, I was told that his lack of movement was due to him trying to take care of himself for his future career as a Houston Texan.Vincent:He’s just pining for a chance to get back on the field, probably.O’Brien (exasperated):PINING TO GET BACK ON THE FIELD?!Why’d he fall flat on his back the moment we got him in pads?!Vincent:The Wake Forest Cornerback prefers keeping on his back.Wonderful player, the Wake Forest Corner, beautiful plumage.O’Brien:Look, if he could get back on the field, he would’ve been in decent enough shape that we could’ve taken him off injured reserve.Now the time has come and we can’t take him off the injured reserve list because he’s no better now than when he went on IR earlier this year.Vincent:Maybe he’s trying to give the other corners on the team a chance to show what they’re worth.Wake Forest Corners are like that, you know.After all, if he were like just any other corner Greg Mancz Color Rush Jersey , he’d just dash onto the field ready for action.O’Brien:This corner wouldn’t move if you put 6,000 volts through him.He’s friggin’ demised.Vincent:He’s not, he—he’s pining!O’Brien:He’s not pining, he’s passed on.This cornerback is no more.He has ceased to be a football player.He has gone on to an early offseason.THIS IS A LATE CORNERBACK!If you hadn’t “Weekend At Bernie’s” him across the stage in 2015, he’d be pushing up the football daisies.THIS IS AN EX-CORNERBACK!Vincent:Well, I guess we should get you a replacement then.O’Brien:That’s more like it.You want anything done in this league, you’ve gotta complain until you’re steel blue in the face.Vincent:Sorry, dude, we don’t have any cornerbacks right now.O’Brien:Of course not.That would be too easy.Vincent:I’ve got a defensive tackle.O’Brien:Does he shut down wide receivers?Vincent:Not really, no.O’Brien:Then he’s not really much of a replacement, is he?Vincent:Can I interest you in a late-model Dunta Robinson?O’Brien:I want...a fresh...cornerback.Vincent:Well, do you have the receipt for Johnson?O’Brien:No, that would be in the possession of our former general manager, Rick Smith.Vincent:Ah, so it’s his doing then.You should talk to him about getting a replacement.O’Brien:What?(Vincent rings a bell, returns to his computer)Vincent:Thank you, good day.Please come back with your receipt and a legally binding buy—UprootedTexan:Okay, both of you, stop that.It’s silly.(O’Brien and Vincent look at UprootedTexan who has no real business being in his own post)O’Brien:What are—Vincent:Yeah, what—UprootedTexan:Never mind that now.Neither of you had a funny line to end this post with and neither did I.So we’re just going to move on to a different post.Ready?And now for something completely different.