Gordon provides the only real highlights in the Browns 30-13 rout by the Bucs. He caught passes of 44 yards and 43 yards, the latter for a TD.
TAMPA, Fla. -- On an otherwise disastrous night for the Browns, they found a ray of hope in their prodigal son Josh Gordon.
In his first live NFL game since Week 15 of the 2014 season, Gordon caught a 44-yard pass down the right sideline from Robert Griffin III on the Browns' second play of the game and a 43-yard touchdown in the second quarter of Friday night's 30-13 loss to the Bucs.
It looked like old times for the former Baylor Bears, who connected for 714 yards and seven TDs at the Waco school in 2010.
The bad news is that he's suspended for the first four games of the season and the Browns have to survive without him.
"He did (provide hope),'' coach Hue Jackson said. " He made a tremendous play. It was good just to get him back out there in the game and playing. He did some good things. There are some things we'll continue to improve on with him, but I thought it was a good start for him."
The two big catches -- on Gordon's only two targets -- provided the only first-half highlights on a night when Browns fans had to cover their eyes or wince at the carnage. They were dominated in all three phases -- including a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown and Jameis Winston passing for 259 yards in one half of work. With the starters playing only the first half, they fell behind 27-10 against a team they had matched up well against during two midweek practices.
Josh Gordon has his price, but Browns don't want to trade him
Griffin, who had been getting rid of the ball quickly in the first two preseason games, held on too long at times and was smothered. He was sacked five times in the first half and often didn't have the time to drop back and heave the long ball that's become his forte.
"No, that's not it at all,'' said Jackson. "We're not holding the ball too long. We're getting sacked. We're not physically doing some things that we can do in my opinion, so we've got to go back and fix that. One of our goals is for our quarterback not to get hit like that.
"I didn't think Robert was back there holding the ball too long or looking for more than what was there. I think sometimes things weren't there, then all of the sudden somebody fell off of somebody. We didn't do a good enough job."
Before giving way to Josh McCown, Griffin completed eight of 14 attempts for 119 yards and the one TD. But take away his 87 yards to Gordon and he had only 32 other passing yards.
Gordon's catches came a week after he promised that the best is yet to come.
"I'm definitely the same guy,'' he said when activated from his quad injury. "I'm confident in my abilities. I know what I can do. I think I can build upon (2013) that and do even better."
It also came days after news broke that the Browns had rejected multiple trade inquiries for Gordon. Head of football operations Sashi Brown said Thursday that although every player has his price, the Browns aren't looking to deal the 2013 All-Pro.
As always, Gordon made the difficult catches look easy. He beat four-time Pro Bowler Brent Grimes twice, getting behind him on a double move on the first catch down the right sidelines and fighting him for the ball on the acrobatic touchdown catch near the right side of the goal line.
"I feel it gave me a boost, gave the team a boost,'' he said. "Get that experience again, get that feeling again what it feels like to make a big play, but it was great. I think uplifting for the team and something that we needed at that point and time in the game and something we could build on going into next week.''
Gordon won't be able to practice with the team once the regular season starts, but Jackson gave him about a dozen snaps with the starters so he could "hit the ground running" when he returns against the Patriots Oct. 9.
How the Gordon-Pryor-Coleman Air Show fared
Much was made leading up to the game about the talented trio of Gordon, Terrelle Pryor and Corey Coleman appearing for the first time. But it proved to be much ado about nothing, in part because Griffin was sacked on five of his 14 attempts.
Pryor caught two of the four passes thrown his way for 15 yards and Coleman caught neither of his two targets, including one deep ball where got tangled up with a defender and tripped. Another time, he lost his shoe and had to run off the field. His lone reception was wiped out by a pass interference call against Pryor.
The Big Three were only on the field together for three plays -- and one was negated by a holding call. No passes were completed when they were together, with Gordon and Pryor on the outside and Coleman in the slot. The potential and the possibilities are evident, but Coleman has missed much of camp with a hamstring injury and has some catching up to.
Coleman and Pryor words?
According to the CBS sideline reporter, Coleman and Pryor were "having words'' during a second quarter drive due to a lack of communication on the field.
Hue Jackson has words with punter Andy Lee
Jackson had some harsh words on the sidelines for punter Andy Lee, who wanted no part of tackling receiver Adam Humphries on his 73-yard punt return for a touchdown. He did try harder -- but whiffed -- on a third-quarter punt return. Meanwhile receiver Marlon Moore made a diving tackle attempt. He later left the game with a hip injury.
Things to be encouraged about
* Griffin III earned a 108.9 rating and didn't turn the ball over.
* Gordon looks like the Pro Bowler he was in 2013.
* Isaiah Crowell averaged 4.9 yards on his eight runs and Duke Johnson averaged 7.3 yards on his three runs.
* The run defense stiffened, allowing only 46 yards rushing in the first half, and a 3.3-yard average. The long gain was 14 yards.
* Joe Haden made his preseason debut and made some plays in his first game back since last season. He left in the second quarter, as did Joe Thomas, who's been suffering from a back injury.
Things to be concerned about
* The Browns had no answer for Winston, who finished with a 125.3 rating.
* Winston threw well on the run, escaped trouble and wasn't sacked once on his 25 attempts. Nate Orchard got close once on a bootleg right, but Winston escaped and lasered a 3-yard TD to Charles Sims.
* Winston toyed with the defense, completing passes of 23, 23, 47, 31 and 34 yards in the first half. The 34-yarder was a touchdown pass to 6-5 Mike Evans after a miscommunication in the defensive backfield. Jamar Taylor was the closest defender, but it wasn't all his fault.
* Browns used a four-man front a lot, but couldn't generate much of a pass rush. When they did get close to Winston, he escaped and more often than not completed the pass.
* Defensive tackle Danny Shelton was off the field in key situations, including on the goal line at times, and his playing time is going in the wrong direction. He was also off the field a lot in the nickel. Shelton was still in the game in the third quarter when most of the starters were out.
Injuries
Justin Gilbert left the field with a concussion in the second quarter and is in the protocol. Moore left with the hip.
Inactives
CB Trey Caldwell (hamstring), DL Nick Hayden (knee), DL Nile Lawrence-Stample (shoulder), WR Ricardo Louis (hamstring), RB Raheem Mostert (hamstring), CB Tramon Williams (toe), RB Glenn Winston (shoulder). Hayden suffered a knee injury during joint practices, but it's not believed to be serious, and Mostert injured his hamstring during the first joint practice.
Center Cam Erving suffered an ankle injury during the first joint practice but played.
Next
The Browns will host the Bears in the fourth and final preseason game Sept. 1.