Gronkowski glad to play grinch
Patriots star in mean mood against hometown club that rejected him
FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts — Rob Gronkowski has always been proud of his roots growing up outside of Buffalo.
He also has never forgotten how his hometown team didn’t want him.
Tom Brady passed for a pair of touchdowns, including Gronkowski’s one-handed grab, and the New England Patriots stayed on track for home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 37-16 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
For Gronkowski it was his 12th touchdown catch in 13 games against the Bills — more than he’s had against any other opponent.
“It’s cool when your hometown team passed on you twice in that (2010) draft. And you kind of remember it still,” Gronkowski said. “No lie, I remember it every single time I play them.”
New England (12-3) locked up a first-round bye with Jacksonville’s 44-33 loss at San Francisco. If Pittsburgh loses to Houston on Monday, the Patriots will secure homefield advantage throughout the postseason.
Dion Lewis caught a touchdown pass and rushed for a four-yard score. He carried 24 times for a career-high 129 yards. It was just his secondcareer 100-yard game. Mike Gillislee, active for the first time in six games, added a one-yard rushing touchdown
Even with the loss, the Bills (8-7) remain in contention to break their 17-year playoff drought. It is the longest active streak in North America’s four major professional sports and the longest in the NFL since the 1970 merger.
New England has won at least 12 games in eight straight seasons — an NFL record.
Buffalo went into halftime tied at 13, but the Bills managed just three points in the final 30 minutes.
Trailing 13-10, Buffalo was in position to take the lead, but a four-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor to Kelvin Benjamin in the corner of the end zone was overturned after an official review.
Benjamin said he thought it was a catch.
“I mean, definitely, but ref made the call and you’ve got to live with that,” he said.
NFL vice president of officiating Al Riveron said in a Twitter post that Benjamin was juggling the ball and was only able to get one of his feet down before completing the catch.
“When Kelvin Benjamin gains control, his left foot is off the ground. The receiver only has one foot down in bounds with control. Therefore, it is an incomplete pass,” Riveron wrote.
That was echoed postgame by referee Craig Wrolstad.
“It was clear and obvious that he did not have control of the ball until he brought it all the way down into his chest,” Wrolstad said in a pool report.
The Bills were forced to settle for a 23-yard field goal as the half expired.
The play elicited immediate reaction on social media.
“Regarding the Buffalo no touchdown, nothing more irritating to an official than to make a great call and then someone in a suit in an office in New York incorrectly reverses it,” former NFL officiating VP Mike Pereira wrote on Twitter.
The game was tied at 3 on Buffalo’s second possession when Taylor was sacked on a fourth-and-2 run by Marquis Flowers. On the next New England drive, Brady’s thirddown pass intended for Kenny Britt was intercepted by Jordan Poyer and returned 19 yards for a touchdown.
It was Brady’s eighth interception of the season. He threw two picks in the first 10 weeks, but now has six in his last five games.
The mistake only momentarily slowed down New England’s offense. Brady capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a 17-yard pass that Gronkowski pulled in with one hand to tie the game at 10.