Four months ago, Josh Gordon faced a two-game suspension amid whispers that the young Cleveland Browns wide receiver was dogging it through training camp sessions.
Four months later, offensive coordinator Norv Turner went out of his way to jab at those summertime narratives, primarily a Sports Illustrated writeup that tabbed Gordon as a "loafer" in practice.
"All this August talk is just talk," Turner said last week, per The Plain Dealer. " ... That's why I don't pay attention to all the people that come in here for one or two days of practice. They sat here in August and complained that the guy doesn't work hard, that he doesn't run routes, he doesn't finish.
"And there were four minutes left in the (Jaguars) game. He already had caught nine balls for 150 yards. I didn't see him not run a route (at) full speed, and he goes 95 yards and pulls away from two pretty fast guys."
Judge for yourself:
Tapping into Game Rewind, we saw more of the same on Gordon's 80-yard touchdown grab against New England on Sunday. The Browns wide receiver beats Aqib Talib to the ball and shakes off the Patriots cornerback with a stiff arm before gaining complete separation:
Gordon's league-leading 1,400 yards have come during a season in which he didn't even take his first snap until Week 3.
Cleveland's matchup Sunday with the Bears looms as a joy for passing-game enthusiasts, pitting Gordon -- that slacker! -- across from Chicago pass-catcher Alshon Jeffery, a guy knocked around by scouts before the 2012 draft for being a fatty with questionable field speed.
How quickly these things change.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" recapped all the Week 14 games.
