Three things have seemed to be certain in the past few years: death, taxes, and the New England Patriots having a slow start to the season. The Pats had a weak 1-2 start, before adding Josh Gordon to the offense and winning in week four against the Miami Dolphins.
Tom Brady has had a tough start based off of the fact that their two first round picks in the draft both started the season hurt, as well as his favorite target Julian Edelman being suspended for the first four games of the year.
A finally healthy rookie Sony Michel taking over the number one running back start, along with Josh Gordon and Julian Edelman becoming integral parts of the offense will open up the field for Brady with potentially one of the best offenses he has ever had.
It has been no secret that Rob Gronkowski has been the only real healthy target that the Patriots offense has had this season, which is why the addition of Josh Gordon and Julian Edelman are so important.
Edelman can dominate the middle of the field along with Gronkowski. This will free up not only Gronk, but also the likes of outside receiving options such as Cordarrelle Patterson, Phillip Dorsett, and yes, Josh Gordon.
Josh Gordon being added to the roster recently is a glimpse of what could have been with Brandin Cooks. Cooks is an elite deep threat much like Gordon, but Cooks was going to be very expensive which is why he was traded. Even though Cooks deserved his massive extension with the Los Angeles Rams, the Patriots could not afford to pay him his worth.
Gordon has the ability to do very special things with Brady by his side. Gordon is the most talented receiver the Patriots have had since Randy Moss. This isn’t to discredit the likes of Deion Branch, Edelman, or Wes Welker, but none of them have the dominating speed, athleticism, or physicality that Gordon was blessed with.
The Patriots often have slow starts, but putting Edelman and Gordon into the lineup will be the adrenaline shot that this offense needs. Gordon has been reported to say he loves the culture, his new teammates, and he is excited to build chemistry with this team every day. Edelman is one of the fiery fan favorites in Foxborough already, and his injection into the lineup is what every Patriots fan has been waiting for.
If both Gordon and Edelman can stay healthy, both mentally and physically, and stay clear of what has kept them sidelined, opposing defenses will be losing sleep over what this New England offense can accomplish.
