’S SEASON TO REMEMBER

GREAT GORDONn another gloomy Browns season, there was one bright light for fans. Josh Gordon burst on to the scene after serving a two-game suspension, shattered team records and was named first-team All-Pro. Big, fast and strong, he was a handful Ifor defenses, who never could quite figure out how to slow him down. He became the first Browns player to lead the NFL in receiving yards, finishing with a team-record 1,646 yards on 87 receptions. Gordon’s 261 yards receiving against Jacksonville on Dec. 1 set a club record, breaking the record 237 he set just the week before against Pittsburgh — and making him the only receiver in NFL history with back-to-back 200-yard games. Gordon’s per-game average of 117.6 receiving yards led the league and ranks sixth in NFL history. He set another NFL record by gaining 774 yards over a four-game stretch from Nov. 17 to Dec. 8. Whoever the team next year, you can be sure he’ll be looking for No. 12 early and often. 87 1,646 117.6 18.9 9 Receptions Receiving yards Yards per game Yards per catch T-11th in NFL 1st in NFL 1st in NFL 2nd in NFL T-14th in NFL

2013 NFL 1,646 Going long leaders Gordon finished the season with 30 catches for more than receiving yards 20 yards. Here’s a look at the Gordon led the league despite longest: playing two fewer games than Campbell Weeden Hoyer Pittsburgh’s . 95 YARDS / In a 32-28 loss to the Three for the money Jaguars, Gordon catches a Another impressive element of Gordon’s 1,499 pass at the 23 and runs 77 1,492 season is that he had 10-plus catches, 200- yards for the score. plus yards and at least one TD from each of three quarterbacks. Here is the breakdown: 80 YARDS / TOUCHDOWN In a 27-26 loss to New Eng- Completion Touchdown Targeted incompletion 1,430 1,426 land, Gordon grabs a 9-yard pass, stiff-arms CB Aqib Talib 42 receptions in 82 attempts and races the remaining 71 yards to the end zone.

A.J. Demaryius Calvin Antonio Josh Green Thomas Johnson Brown Gordon YARDS Bengals Broncos Lions Steelers Browns 769 Elite company 74 YARDS / TOUCHDOWN 31 receptions in 45 attempts Gordon eclipsed ’ In a 41-20 loss to Cincinnati, single-season franchise receiving record Gordon catches a pass 35 in his 10th game, six fewer than Edwards. yards downfield and races The single-season receiving top five: the rest of the way for a TD. YARDS Yards Year 660 47 YARDS / 3 TIMES / 1 TD 1 Josh Gordon 1,646 2013 Gordon caught his first 2 Braylon Edwards 1,289 2007 pass of the year at the 15 and 14 Receptions, 27 attempts went in for the score in a 31- 3 1,236 1989 27 win over the Vikings. He 4 Mac Speedie 1,146 1947 also had 47-yarders in a 23-17 loss to the Chiefs and 27-11 YARDS 5 Kellen Winslow 1,106 2007 loss to the Steelers. 217 For more on Gordon’s great season, go to .com/gordon PLAIN DEALER GRAPHIC BY TONY BRIGGMIN AND DENNIS MANOLOFF; GORDON PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN KUNTZ. ©2014