FOXBORO -- When a team loses its leading receiver suddenly, a receiver for whom there is no replacement, one might assume that the offense will need to shift. One might assume that there are some questions that need to be answered about which players can be trusted to shoulder more.

If those things are happening at One Patriots Place this week with Josh Gordon suspended, the Patriots aren't saying so.

"The guys that have been in there have been working hard," Tom Brady said. "We're trying to, I think like every position, trying to make improvements over the course of the week. Different guys have been in there at different times and I have a lot of confidence in the guys in there."

Brady expressed confidence in the receiver group that now includes Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett, Chris Hogan and Cordarrelle Patterson -- a group that the Patriots felt needed the addition of Gordon back in the season's first month. (Edelman joined the team in Week 5 following a suspension, one week following Gordon's Patriots debut.)

"They all do a good job," Brady said. "They all have different roles. We're going to have to go out there and play a great game."

"I feel like the offense really doesn't need to change," Rob Gronkowski said. "I feel like players like myself just need to step up and start making plays."

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Hogan will likely bump up into the No. 2 receiver role, meaning in two-back packages (the Patriots were among the league leaders in two-back sets even before Gordon's departure) he is expected to be on the field with Edelman. In three-receiver sets, the Patriots could roll with Patterson or Dorsett.

Neither has seen extensive time offensively since Gordon's arrival -- Dorsett has played 176 snaps, Patterson has played 150 -- but both have unique skill sets that could be utilized in different situations. Patterson is the bigger target with good speed and an ability to create yards after catch. Dorsett is smaller, can probably work the middle of the field more effectively (he played some slot receiver during training camp), and has a better overall understanding of the Patriots offense.

How they factor into the picture without Gordon remains to be seen, and Brady didn't seem too phased by the changes coming.

"The reality is, it could happen the first play of the game, too, you know? First play of the game somebody could sprain an ankle, and the next thing you know guys are adjusting," he said. "That's part of the nature of playing a long time. You realize things happen very quickly and they change very quickly. We lost Jeremy Hill the first game of the year. You think you've got all this running back depth, next thing you know guys get hurt. It's two weeks in you're like, 'Holy cow, what happened?'

"That's just part of playing and being mentally tough. Everything changes quickly. It's just part of it. You deal with things over the course of a long season, 16 weeks. You are what you are after four games, after eight games, after 12 games. We're here in the last quarter of the season. We have two very important games coming up for our whole season. We've worked hard to get to this point, everyone's put in a lot of effort. Everyone's a little bit tired. It's been a lot of football, but you gotta tough it out. It's like the end of a marathon. You're happy you're in the position you're in, we've got a great opportunity ahead of us."

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Though Patterson's down-the-field ability could continue to flash week to week -- he has seven catches for 124 yards in his last three games -- Dorsett's ability to play multiple receiver spots and his experience in the offense could mean he sees more work.

"Phil's been around for a while," Gronkowski said. "Just have a lot of confidence in him. Whatever he needs to do, he's been doing a great job and it's great to have him around."

Bill Belichick had nothing but praise for Dorsett when asked about Dorsett's attitude and how he's handled a reduced role -- he averaged 52 snaps per game before Gordon's acquisition and 16 after -- over the last few months.

"Smart guy that’s versatile," Belichick said, "can play multiple positions, been a dependable player for us . . . Phil’s tremendous. He’s a tremendous kid, great teammate. I think he has everybody’s total respect in the locker room on everything – his preparation, the way he treats other people, how unselfish he is, how he’s always ready for his role. You saw that in the Super Bowl last year. So, I don’t think you could ask for any more than what he gives the team."

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