Booms and Busts: Josh Gordon, open for business

Meet the new Josh Gordon. Same as the old Josh Gordon.

Uncoverable freak.

There were all sorts of whispers and rumors about how the Browns would handle Gordon in his 2014 debut, but ultimately it was a day of limited restrictions. Gordon was targeted early and often Sunday at the Georgia Dome, and the Browns needed every last yard and catch in their 26-24 comeback victory over the Falcons.

Gordon wound up with an eight-grab, 120-yard afternoon, a solid haul on a whopping 16 targets. His 24-yard catch was the biggest play on Cleveland's game-winning field-goal drive (other than the kick, of course). And credit the coaching staff for using just about everything in the playbook. Gordon ran short routes, intermediate routes, deep routes, goal-line routes. Variety, creativity, volume – the Browns let it all hang out.

The afternoon wasn't entirely seamless, of course. Brian Hoyer threw a couple of picks on passes aimed at Gordon, and there were some big plays left on the field (which, to the TV-tracking eye, looked like quarterback mistakes and misfires). The Browns also tried one gadget pass from Gordon, which turned into an entertaining but harmless incompletion. Gordon handled the ball plenty, but wasn't able to score a touchdown. A strong fantasy day, sure, but it easily could have been a monstrous one.

Gordon looked out of breath here and there, which suggests he might not be in full game-shape yet. But this all sounds like nitpicking. His fantasy owners wanted to see a dominant player on the field, and that's what Gordon looked like for three hours. He's a set-and-forget option the rest of the year.

And better days should be ahead. Gordon played about 70 percent of the snaps Sunday (though the target avalanche offsets that), and he was working against Desmond Trufant, a strong cornerback. Even if the Hoyer Show spirals out of control, sooner or later the touchdowns will come.

Both of Cleveland's Week 12 touchdowns were scored by tailback Isaiah Crowell, the other significant takeaway from this victory. The first score was nifty, the second one an immediate bookmark, a 26-yard jitterbug that covered both sides of the field. Crowell made 88 yards on his 12 carries (7.3 a pop), while Terrance West added 14-62 on the ground (and one catch). Ultimately West finished the day with three more touches, but if you can own just one of these guys, Crowell looks like the best play.

The Browns travel to Buffalo next week (go home, snow), then host the Colts in Week 14. But the way Gordon and Crowell played Sunday, we're not going to sweat matchups too much. Cleveland rocks. Gordon and the Browns are open for business.

As for the biggest bust of Week 12, that goes down as Jonas Gray's cell phone. Or maybe it was the charger that failed the rookie, or a dodgy electric socket. Gray overslept Friday morning – a drained cell phone was blamed – which led to the Patriots booting him from practice. And Gray kept paying for his mistake on Sunday, when the Patriots dressed him but didn't use him during a 34-9 spanking of the Lions.

All four of New England's touchdowns were fantasy troll jobs. Old friend LeGarrette Blount – last seen quitting on the Pittsburgh Steelers – rejoined the Pats and punched in two short scores. Tim Wright added a pair of touchdown grabs, covering four and eight yards. The main cogs in the passing game did fine with catches and yardage (Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski all graded well in yardage and PPR formats), but none of them was allowed to spike.

The New England takeaway is one of the oldest ones in the fantasy book. Belichick is gonna Belichick. Just when you think you have a handle on this team's backfeld usage, the Pats roll out something different. We've seen this movie before.

Get your popcorn ready for Week 13, when the Patriots and Packers meet up in a Lambeau Field showdown. Looks like a fantasy bonanza.

In Other Week 12 Booms:

-- T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts: Sometimes narrative street gives us a happy ending. Hilton watched his wife deliver a baby girl Sunday morning, then rushed to the stadium, arriving mere minutes before kickoff against Jacksonville. Hilton clinched the victory with a 73-yard touchdown (come for the score, stay for the celebration), the capper on a four-catch, 122-yard afternoon. Indianapolis's modest 23-3 win was a testament to the Jaguars' defense, which sacked Andrew Luck five times and held him to that one touchdown pass.

-- LeSean McCoy, RB, Eagles: This is the cruise you signed up for. McCoy did what most good backs do against the leaky Tennessee rushing defense, bobbing and weaving for 130 yards and a score on 21 carries. At long last, McCoy looks back to his 2013 form.

Although the Eagles rolled to a 43-24 victory and the result was never in doubt, Lincoln Financial Field saw plenty of production on both sides. Mark Sanchez racked up 307 yards and a score, while Zach Mettengerber (20-39-345-2-1) added his name to the ledger of mediocre QBs who have stat-padded in Philly. The Eagles had a return touchdown, as they always seem to at home, and also rolled up five sacks and three takeaways. A healthy Delanie Walker rambled for 155 yards on five catches.

Also booming (early games): Eddie Lacy, Matt Forte, Jeremy Hill, Boom Herron

In Other Week 12 Busts:  

-- Houston Texans Offense: Go back and torch anything nice you read about the Texans this past week. Houston's offense was horrific against Cincinnati, managing just 248 total yards on the day. Alfred Blue stumbled to 2.9 yards a carry, while Ryan Mallett posted a 4.2 YPA and 49.2 rating on 45 ugly pass attempts. The lone Texans touchdown came on defense, and Cincinnati's 22-13 victory never felt in doubt.

-- Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions: The Patriots' defense has come around nicely, but that doesn't excuse Stafford for his messy 18-for-46 afternoon in Foxboro (no touchdowns, one pick). And at what point does Joique Bell justly move onto the overrated pile? He managed just 48 yards on 19 carries. The Lions have a lot to fix before the Thanksgiving game against Chicago.

Also busting (early games): Steven Jackson, Davante Adams, Gio Bernard, Shoelace Robinson, Bears passing game, Coby Fleener