Cleveland Browns: Josh Gordon is set up for a big bounce back game

After making only one catch in the regular season opener, albeit a big catch, Josh Gordon is set up to have a big bounce game against the Saints on Sunday.

No one knew what to expect from Josh Gordon during the Cleveland Browns’ regular season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Head coach Hue Jackson said he was not going to start, but he did. Jackson also said that Gordon would play a limited amount of snaps, but he played more than 75 percent of the team’s offensive snaps.

Even though Gordon was on the field for most of the offensive snaps, he was not a big part of the offense. He was targeted three times and only made one catch, but it was the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter that sent the game into overtime.

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Gordon saw most of the passes in the offense go to Jarvis Landry, as Landry caught seven of his 15 targets for 107 yards. But since Landry was featured so heavily in the Browns passing offense in Week 1, he may see the Saints best corner lined up against him for most of the game.

Marshon Lattimore is one of the best young cornerbacks in the game. He is typically lined up against the opposing offenses No. 1 receiver and usually shuts that guy down. Although Gordon would seem like the Browns No. 1 receiver, right now Landry is the Browns’ go-to guy. So on Sunday, Landry will likely be tasked with trying to beat Lattimore.

With Lattimore likely covering Landry, that leaves Gordon going up primarily against Saints corners Ken Crawley and Patrick Robinson. On paper, it looks like an obvious advantage for Gordon on Sunday.

After the performance of the Saints defense Week 1, it becomes even more of a favorable match-up for Gordon. This same Saints defense allowed Ryan Fitzpatrick complete 75 percent of his passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns.

Both of the Tampa Bay starting wide receivers also had big games. Mike Evans caught seven passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. DeSean Jackson caught five passes for 146 yards and two tocuhdowns.

Most of those yards came with the Saints corners being beat vertically, including Lattimore. Against the Steelers, Gordon was being used primarily on vertical routes. Although Gordon is very good at catching short passes and getting yards after the catch, Todd Haley was attempting to use him as a downfield threat. After what happened to the Saints last week, Gordon being used vertically could pay off big time.

Yes, the Browns passing offense was miserable last week, as Tyrod Taylor seemed very tentative to push the ball downfield until late in the game. But last week should also be taken with a grain of salt, as the Browns were practically playing in a monsoon the entire game and the Steelers secondary covered very, very well.

With the Browns playing in a dome on Sunday, there is a good opportunity for the passing offense to get its feet underneath them and take a huge step forward from last week. And Gordon could play a huge part of it.

The Saints defense is going to be playing angry this week, as they feel disrespected by what happened last week. But they can not fix all of their problems in one week, and it could pay off big time for the Browns, and Gordon specifically.