Gordon’s play impresses Browns
BEREA — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon received rave reviews from his teammates after appearing in a regular-season game for the first time in 1,077 days.
Gordon had four catches for 85 yards on 11 targets in Sunday’s 19-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He would have done more damage if rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer didn’t overthrow and underthrow him a handful of times.
Not bad for someone who hadn’t played in a real NFL game since Dec. 21, 2014, because of recurring violations of the league’s substance-abuse policy.
“I just sat back and thought about it after the game,” left guard Joel Bitonio said Monday. “I’m like, ‘This guy hasn’t played football for over 1,000 days, since my rookie year, and he comes out here and looks like the best player on the field a few times.’ That’s pretty impressive stuff.”
Rookie tight end David Njoku hinted what Gordon achieved in his return is just a sneak peek of what he’ll do in the final four games this season.
“I’ve never seen anybody that fast and that big in my life,” Njoku said. “He’s a true specimen. He’s a real special player, and I’m really excited to see what he does.”
Gordon had the Browns’ longest play of the game, a 39-yard catch-and-run against Pro Bowl cornerback Casey Hayward. His other highlight was a leaping, 28-yard catch over Hayward on a fade route along the sideline. It set up Njoku’s 28-yard touchdown catch with 1:55 left in the second quarter.
“You saw how dynamic (Gordon) is as a player, and I think honestly he feels like he probably could have had a few more plays,” Bitonio said. “The one he caught over the middle and ran for like 40 yards, that just shows his power and his speed. And then the sideline catch I thought was pretty impressive.”
Shazier stays in Cincinnati hospital
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier will remain in a Cincinnati hospital until at least Wednesday to undergo further testing on a spinal injury suffered in the first quarter of Monday night’s win over the Bengals.
Shazier left Paul Brown Stadium on a stretcher less than four minutes into his team’s 23-20 victory over Cincinnati following a tackle that left the 25-year-old writhing on the turf, his legs motionless. He underwent extensive testing overnight, with the team saying Shazier’s injury did not require surgery “at this time.”
The Steelers had hoped Shazier would be able to return to Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The timetable has been pushed back at least 24 to 48 hours. He will remain at University of Cincinnati Medical Center under the care of neurosurgeons David Okonwko and Joseph Cheng. Shazier is expected to be transferred to a Pittsburgh hospital later in the week.
While the severity of the injury will remain unknown until the swelling subsides, the relentlessly upbeat Shazier offered a bit of hope Tuesday evening.
“Thank you for the prayers,” Shazier tweeted. “Your support is uplifting to me and my family. (hash) SHALIEVE”.
Other injuries
• The Buffalo Bills placed wide receiver Jordan Matthews (knee) and defensive end Shaq Lawson (ankle) on injured reserve, ending their seasons.
• The Denver Broncos placed defensive end Derek Wolfe on injured reserve with a neck injury suffered on Nov. 26 against Oakland.
• The Chicago Bears placed right guard Kyle Long on injured reserve. The three-time Pro Bowler aggravated a left shoulder injury during Sunday’s loss to San Francisco.