Gronkowski focused on playoffs
Back injury sidelined Patriots TE in ’16 title run
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots won last season’s Super Bowl, the fifth of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era, with tight end Rob Gronkowski sidelined by a season-ending back injury.
As New England is set to open this postseason Saturday against the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round, Gronkowski will not only be healthy, but he’ll also be the team’s most important offensive weapon other than Brady.
“I wasn’t part of it last year, but not looking back,” Gronkowski said Tuesday. “Just looking forward to this game, man. I’m super excited to be back out there with the team. Just super excited today out there on the field with the boys again. We had a couple of days off. It’s my first playoff game in a while, so I’m excited, man.”
The Patriots should be, too.
In 14 games this season, Gronkowski led the Patriots in receptions (69), yards (1,084), and touchdowns (eight). He was voted a first-team all-pro. And if the Patriots are to repeat as Super Bowl champions, the path to get there likely depends on his heavy contributions.
“It’s kind of crazy because he’s too big to put a safety or a (defensive back) on him,” receiver Kenny Britt said. “But he’s too fast to put a linebacker on him. So what do you do?”
Tennessee could opt to use free safety Kevin Byard, but even the first-team all-pro likely can’t handle the coverage assignment alone.
“He can do it all,” Titans coach Mike Mularkey said of Gronkowski in a conference call. “That’s one thing. He can mix it up in the run game. That’s unique in this day in age that you can get a guy that can do both very well and still continues to do it year after year. No matter what teams try to do to try to take him out of games, it’s been very difficult to do that. He’s just impressive.”
When teams have opted to throw multiple defenders at him, the Patriots have capitalized elsewhere in the passing game.
“That’s what I’m saying,” Britt continued. “How do you double-team him if it leaves other people open? There’s no easy answer.”
If there’s one sign that illustrates just how important the tight end is to New England’s playoff hopes, it’s that amid a rocky December stretch for Brady — one in which he threw five interceptions from Weeks 13 to 16 — Gronkowski has been the constant to carry the load.
The lone Patriots loss in that stretch came in a Monday night game against the Miami Dolphins, one in which Gronkowski was suspended for a post-play hit on Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White the week prior.
Gronkowski caught 23 passes for 382 yards — an average of 16.6 yards per catch — and one touchdown in those three games.
As backup quarterback Brian Hoyer said, “When you see what he does on the field, the game-altering plays, especially in big games, it lifts everyone up.”
In a pivotal Week 15 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers that put New England in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, Gronkowski had team highs in targets (13), catches (nine) and receiving yards (168). In the game-winning drive, he was the only Patriots player Brady targeted. His three catches for 69 yards helped set up the go-ahead touchdown. Gronkowski also hauled in the two-point conversion.
“I don’t think I would say we take it for granted at all,” Gronkowski said of the Patriots reaching the divisional round in each of his eight seasons. “We put the hard work, we put the dedication in and we know what it takes to get to that level. Now that we’re there you can’t take your foot off the gas pedal. I’ve seen it happen before. It’s happened while I’m on the team here before, and you’ve just got to keep working hard.
“You can’t think, ‘Oh, we’re here. We made it. We’re in the playoffs. Everything is going to be easy.’ No, it gets harder. It gets tougher. It gets more physical, mentally and physically. You’ve just got to prepare and keep on working hard and keep on grinding.”