Cooks could fill Pats’ Gronk void
The good news for the Patriots is they have been in this spot before, just last Sunday, losing tight end Rob Gronkowski to a concussion. And they were able to persevere.
So if Gronkowski can’t go in next Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Eagles — had the game been played this Sunday, he would have been ruled out — wide receiver Brandin Cooks has proved more than able to fill the void left by the game-changing tight end.
It was Cooks after all who was such a big part of the comeback against the Jaguars, notching his third 100-yard game of the season while also drawing two big penalties totaling 68 yards.
“His talent is undeniable,” special teams ace Matthew Slater said this week.
Cooks has had more prolific seasons stats-wise — he caught more passes for more yards and more touchdowns each of the previous two seasons with the Saints — but he has never played in meaningful January games before like he has this year. The speedy 5-foot-11 Cooks, traded to the Patriots in the offseason in exchange for a firstround pick, made the most of it, catching three passes for 32 yards in the division round rout of the Titans, and came up huge in the AFC Championship.
He had a strong regular season, appearing in all 16 games, and making at least two catches in each one, emerging as a key down-the-field weapon for Tom Brady. Clearly, his comfort level with the future Hall of Fame quarterback is only increasing, as evidenced by the performance against the Jaguars’ elite defense.
“I think it’s growing day-by-day, every single practice, every single game,” the 24-year-old Cooks said. “The great thing about it is, we have another chance to grow that trust in a couple of weeks.”
Cooks has adapted well to the Patriots Way. Teammates have praised his work ethic and character as more of a rookie free agent than a former first-round pick. NFL Films picked up audio of Cooks imploring his teammates during the AFC title game, telling them, “We never said it was going to be easy! We just said we were going to get it done!”
“Brandin in one of the hardest workers I’ve been around,” Patriots receiver Chris Hogan said. “He cares a lot about this team. For being a guy who just got here, he cares a lot about this team. He cares a lot about winning.”
Now he really gets his chance to really leave a mark, and win a Super Bowl. After missing the playoffs in his first three seasons, the talented wide receiver can’t wait to play on the sport’s biggest stage. And he will be sorely needed if Gronkowski is unable to get back on the field.
“You’ve got to be able to treat it like you’re never going to get this opportunity again,” Cooks said. “We’re fortunate as a team, so we’ve got to look at it from that standpoint. We never know if we can get back here, so give it all you’ve got.”