Gronk heads to protocol
Club hopes to have TE back for LII
PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK
FOXBORO — The Patriots were Gronkless during their comeback yesterday.
Now, for the second time in tight end Rob Gronkowski’s career, a lingering injury from the AFC Championship Game will captivate his focus in the lead-up to the Super Bowl.
Gronkowski suffered a concussion in the second quarter of the Patriots’ 24-20 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the Pats are optimistic he’ll be cleared to play against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII on Feb.4 in Minneapolis, according to a Herald source.
Gronkowski took a helmet-to-helmet shot from Jaguars safety Barry Church during an incompletion up the right seam. Church drew a flag for a personal foul.
“I just tried to dislodge the ball,” Church said. “He’s a big dude, and I was just trying to dislodge the ball. But I guess they felt it was too high of a hit. I hope he’s healthy. I know he didn’t come back, so I hope he is all right. It was a tough call, but you have to go with what they call. It’s the toughest play in football. If you go low for the knees, you are considered a dirty player. And if you go high, they throw the flag at you. It’s a bang-bang play, and I was just trying to play football. I tried to lead with my shoulder.”
Gronkowski had one catch for 21 yards on three targets. He got to his feet after he was hit and stumbled to the point where wide receiver Chris Hogan had to ensure Gronkowski wouldn’t fall down again. The officials immediately pulled Gronkowski off the field and sent him to the locker room for a concussion evaluation, and he was ultimately ruled out.
“(Offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) did such a great job of figuring out what we needed to do and how we needed to get it done, and he made it happen,” quarterback Tom Brady said of the adjustments post-Gronkowski. “It’s hard when you lose such a critical part of your team and offense. Hopefully, he’s OK. It’s a tough shot he took. He’s as tough as they come. Hopefully, he feels better soon.”
Happy Gilmore
As cornerback Stephon Gilmore cut the tape from his ankles while sitting on a chair at his locker, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia embraced him from behind and shared a private message.
Patricia, like so many of Gilmore’s teammates, was thrilled for the cornerback’s clutch play after he was so heavily criticized earlier in the season. Gilmore jumped to break up a fourth-and-15 pass for wide receiver Dede Westbrook at the 12-yard line, which allowed the Pats to run out the clock.
“I told him before that drive, ‘They’re going to come to you. Just be great when they come to you.’ He made a tremendous play,” defensive end Trey Flowers said.
Gilmore recognized the Jaguars’ look and anticipated Westbrook’s route based off an earlier play in the game. He stayed under the throw and knocked it aside to start the celebration.
Gilmore was asked if it was the biggest play that he’s ever made.
“I wouldn’t say the biggest play, but the biggest play at the right time, so it was a great play,” he said.
Gilmore had two pass breakups and didn’t allow a catch on five targets last week against the Titans in his playoff debut, so the $65 million corner has earned his stripes on the biggest stage. He is a long way from those September struggles.
“It isn’t always going to be great,” he said. “When you go through stuff, you know you’ve got to keep working. I’ve got great teammates to push me through it.”
Safety Duron Harmon was among the teammates who rallied behind Gilmore when the critics were loudest.
“It’s amazing,” Harmon said. “You had a guy who had a lot of scrutiny and the beginning of the year, and all he did was continue to get better.”
After five futile seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Gilmore has been a key contributor during the Patriots’ drive to Super Bowl LII.
“To come from where I came from last year, signing here, to coming to a great team with great teammates and great coaches, I love it here. It’s the reason why I came here,” Gilmore said.
Phlea phlicker to Phillip
Receiver Phillip Dorsett was the only player who dressed last week against the Titans but didn’t see the field. But yesterday, he came through with one of the Patriots’ most important plays, a 31-yard catch on a flea flicker that set up the touchdown that made it 20-17.
“I just wanted to be able to spark the team,” Dorsett said. “I can’t even explain what’s going on. It’s crazy.” . . .
Team owner Robert Kraft addressed the reported rift among him, coach Bill Belichick and Brady in pregame remarks to NFL Network.
“Life is difficult. Especially if you’re doing things at a high level,” Kraft said. “Having continuity, keeping things going ... you know the fact that Tommy and Bill Belichick and my family have been together for 18 years, it’s unheard of.
“There’s a lot of strong minded people. But when you have something good going, everybody’s got to get their egos checked in and try to hold it together.”