Gronkowski throttles hometown team again
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Rob Gronkowski is proud of his roots growing up outside of Buffalo, N.Y.
He also has not forgotten how his hometown team didn’t want him.
Tom Brady passed for two touchdowns, including Gronkowski’s one-handed grab, and the Patriots stayed on track for home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 37-16 win over Buffalo on Sunday.
For Gronkowski, it was his 12th touchdown catch in 13 career games against the Bills — more than he has 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) clinched a first-round bye later in the afternoon when Jacksonville lost to the 49ers. If Pittsburgh loses at Houston on Monday, the Patriots will secure home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
Dion Lewis caught a touchdown pass and rushed for a 4-yard score. He carried 24 times for career-high 129 yards.
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.
New England has won at least 12 games in eight straight seasons — an NFL record.
Trailing 13-10 in the second quarter, Buffalo was in position to take the lead, but an apparent 4-yard TD pass from Tyrod Taylor to Kelvin Benjamin in the corner of the end zone was overturned after a 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. “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.
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.