GRONKOWSKI GETS THE GREEN LIGHT
PATS’ ALL-STAR SUCCESSFULLY PASSES CONCUSSION PROTOCOL IN TIME FOR SUPER BOWL LII
Gronk’s “ready to roll” in Super Bowl LII on Sunday. New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski made a surprise appearance at the Patriots’ last press availability of the week on Thursday, informing a crush of reporters and photographers that he cleared the concussion protocol earlier in the day, and practised without limitation with his teammates.
He suffered the concussion late in the first half of New England’s 24-20 defeat of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC championship game on Jan. 21 on a high- speed, helmet- tohelmet collision with Jags safety Barry Church.
NFL players recovering from a concussion are prevented by league protocol from doing interviews, so this was Gronk’s first and only press availability of the week.
“I just did every step, step-bystep, every day,” he said of the league’s five- level return- to- play protocol, which has no fixed time element at any stage. Players recover as they can.
“Everything went smooth,” the seventh- year tight end added. “I officially got the word today that I was cleared, so it was super nice to hear from the doctors.”
How did his first full- participation practice in two weeks go? “Good. It was a good day.” What did he do at practice? “Everything. I was able to do everything that I was asked to do out there on the field, so I’ ll be ready to roll in the game. I’ ll be full go, ready to roll, full speed, taking on hits, blocking, running routes, whatever it may be.”
Gronkowski added, probably ill- advisedly, that “we knew the whole time I was going to be good to go.”
He said he holds no grudge against Church, whom the NFL fined $ 24,309 for the illegal, head-to-head hit. “It’s football. It is what it is. “I mean, it’s a split- second to make a decision. It’s running full speed one way. I’m going the other way. It’s just part of the game. It happens. Just got to move on.”
Gronkowski himself caused a caution on a dirty play in early December in Buffalo, when — in a moment of overwhelming frustration and anger — he dived onto the head of a Buffalo Bills defensive back, Tre’Davious White, after White shoved Gronk out of the way to make an interception. White was concussed.
Meanwhile, the Pats’ coaching staff led by Bill Belichick talked about practising “situational football” as being a key component to their success.
Receivers coach Chad O’Shea, who is reportedly in line to replace Josh McDaniels as the offensive co- ordinator when McDaniels is named head coach of the Indianapolis Colts next week, said adjusting to the situation in all manners is a crucial hallmark of the Patriot Way.
The most recent example of this occurred in the AFC championship game, when New England trailed Jacksonville by 10 points with about 10 minutes remaining. On a 3rd- and-18 from deep in Patriots territory, receiver Danny Amendola ran an in- cut route but not until he scooted 20 yards downfield. He took a throw from Tom Brady on a cleverly designed clear-out play against the Jaguars’ expected soft zone.
Amendola said afterward he made sure to eyeball before the snap precisely how far he needed to run up-field before cutting in, to be sure he picked up the first down.
That’s just one example. No route depth is inflexible in the Patriots’ playbook, O’Shea said. It’s all about adjusting.
“In most offences you have a specific depth that you want the player to try to achieve on each play,” he said, “but it’s also important to be situationally aware, to know what’s needed in each situation.”
Indeed, how many times have you seen a receiver run a crosser eight yards deep when 10 yards is needed to keep the drive alive? How dumb is that? Well you don’t see Patriots receivers do that very often.
“We’ve been very fortunate here that coach Belichick on a daily basis emphasizes situational football, and how important the details of those situations are,” O’Shea said. “Whether it’s the depth on a route, or to get out of bounds, or other specifics of a situation. Coach does a great job of educating the players on this. It’s something we take a lot of pride in. That’s the job of the players to adjust a depth, adjust an angle, as required.”
Such flexibility is built into all facets of the New England playbook, O’Shea said.
“One of our strengths is that we’re very flexible,” he said. “They have to understand the situation. And they have to be smart football players.
“These are situations that are rehearsed, over and over for us,” O’Shea said. “We always try to ( practise) like it’s a game. There is a lot of time spent and invested, so that when we get to the game this comes almost as habit to us. It’s definitely not something that just comes up on Sundays, and that’s definitely something we take a lot of pride in in New England.
“We try to prepare for every situation possible, whether it’s 3rd- and-18 to get a first down. We’re very specific about the details of the angles, the depths and all those things. And, again, that all comes from Coach Belichick and his thoroughness, the unbelievable preparation that he teaches to the team about situational football.”