Josh Gordon Would Push Browns into Playoff Contention If Reinstated in 2014

Josh Gordon had a long, whirlwind offseason that resulted in the Cleveland Browns being forced to move on without their superstar wide receiver. As fate would have it, there could be hope on the horizon for a reunion before Thanksgiving, opening the door for the team to make a serious playoff push. 

No, seriously. 

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Gordon's year-long suspension will be reduced to 10 games upon final approval of the new drug policy that the owners and players have been working on. 

The NFL Players Association did agree to the new policy in a vote on Friday, via ESPN.com. However, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network tweeted a statement from the NFL that said several issues still have to be worked out before any of the already-suspended players can have their penalties reduced:

While this has undoubtedly left Gordon frustrated as he waits to find out his fate, things seem to be moving in a positive direction that will allow him to see the field in 2014. It may not happen until Week 12 against Atlanta, but the Browns are in a position to tread water in the meantime. 

The Browns would be happy to use Gordon if they get him back this season, according to comments from offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan via Pat McManamon of ESPN.com:

"If Josh is able to play this week," Shanahan said, "I'd like to get him out there. I think he would help."

That's an understatement. Even after missing the first two games last year, when the Browns weren't sure what to do at the quarterback position, Gordon led the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards and added nine touchdowns for good measure. 

Let's take the first half of Cleveland's Week 1 game against Pittsburgh out of the equation for a minute, because it was about as bad as the team could play. The Browns came out in the second half, on the road, and scored 24 straight points before the Steelers got a field goal with no time left to win. 

Don Wright/Associated Press

In the last 30 minutes of that game, the Browns racked up 308 yards of offense. Quarterback Brian Hoyer played well in the game with 230 yards and one touchdown pass, completing 19 of his 31 attempts. The running game took off when Ben Tate left with an injury, led by Terrance West's 100 yards on 16 carries. 

There were problems on the defensive side in the first half. The assumption was that would be Cleveland's strength, but allowing 27 points in a half makes you nervous.

It's also not good when Justin Gilbert, the cornerback you took in the top 10 of May's draft, is already losing playing time, according to head coach Mike Pettine, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal:

"

Looking back on it, maybe (Gilbert) did play too many reps. We’re not looking to bench him, but maybe scale back his reps this week.

I think we need to do a better job as a staff of putting him in situations, and maybe getting him some help [in coverage from a safety].

But there is no substitute for playing. He needs to transition. He needs to take what he does on the practice field and take it to the game because he’s practiced well. That’s part of the learning process, too.

"

Again, though, for all the issues they had in the first half, that second half was just as revelatory in the opposite direction. 

So let's look at the Browns schedule in the coming weeks. Their defense will be tested again with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints coming to the Dawg Pound in Week 2, but we saw the Saints get upended on the road against inferior teams last year (Jets, Rams). 

After that, they host Baltimore before the bye in Week 4. Their break is followed by winnable games against Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Oakland and Tampa Bay before a showdown with defending AFC North champion Cincinnati. 

Let's say the Browns go 4-4 during that stretch, putting them one game under .500. They play Houston in Week 11, which would be the final week of Gordon's suspension (assuming it gets reduced). J.J. Watt is fantastic, but do you trust Ryan Fitzpatrick to carry an offense through an entire season?

So there is a very real scenario where the Browns could come out of Week 11 with a 5-5 record. In their division, is there one team that's going to separate itself from the pack? The Steelers have been exposed in their last six quarters, via ESPN Stats & Info:

No one knows what to do with the Ravens at this point. They lost to Cincinnati in a game where they let Joe Flacco throw the ball 62 times, then won an ugly game against Pittsburgh on a short week. The Bengals are always a team you think should be better than their records indicate. 

Coming into the year, there was optimism in Cleveland. The front office spent money on Donte Whitner and Karlos Dansby to upgrade what was already a good defense (ninth in yards allowed last year).

We underrated the offense because of questions about Hoyer at quarterback, largely stemming from the meaningless preseason, but the running game is strong, the offensive line ranked 12th overall last year, per Pro Football Focus, and tight end Jordan Cameron had 917 yards with seven touchdowns last year. 

Take those pieces, then add a game-changing weapon like Josh Gordon to the mix. Suddenly, the Browns have the makings of a playoff contender this season. Their last stretch of games will come against teams with defensive question marks (Atlanta, Buffalo, Indianapolis). Carolina in Week 16 has questions in the secondary. 

There's a lot of talent in Cleveland just waiting to break out. Gordon is the missing piece on offense to push the Browns over the top in a division that doesn't look scary. If he's able to return later this year, expect both Ohio teams to make a playoff push in the final weeks. 

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter: @adamwells1985.