Gronk won’t knock refs
Takes high road after late non-call
FOXBORO — Rob Gronkowski and the Patriots weren’t biting.
They refused to complain about the non-call in the end zone that sealed the Seahawks’ 31-24 victory last night at Gillette Stadium. Gronk and Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor were locked in arms and tumbled to the ground as Tom Brady’s fourth-and-goal pass from the 1-yard line sailed incomplete.
“It didn’t get called,” Gronkowski said. “It is what it is. If it’s not (pass interference) to the refs, then it’s not PI to the refs. It’s what it is. It’s not going to change it.”
Gronkowski initiated the contact with Chancellor on the fade route. Chancellor had both hands on Gronk’s arms as the tight end stumbled.
“He was playing off me a little bit, pretty far, farther than usual,” Gronk said. “You usually don’t see that. It was a fade, so I had to go up to him, make a little move. I wasn’t trying to initiate contact actually. It just happened. Just went up to him, just want to get on top of his toes. That’s what you’re taught. Get on top of your toes, make a little move and release outside. I just got on top of his toes a little too much, obviously, and I wasn’t trying to make contact. I was just trying to make a move and get outside and catch a fade ball.”
Brady punted on the criticism, too. The Patriots appeared angry about the non-call on the field but bit their tongues afterward.
“I didn’t see it,” Brady said. “There is always a lot of contact with that team, and sometimes you get the call, and sometimes you don’t. It looks like it came down to one play, but there are a lot of plays we could have done a better job on.”
The discussion then turned into a wider-ranging focus. Gronkowski was flagged five times last season for offensive pass interference, which merited the question of whether he was getting unfairly treated by the officials because of his size. Remember, Gronkowski took exception to those offensive pass interference calls last year.
“It’s a good question,” Gronkowski said. “I’ve had problems in the past with that. Last year, a couple times this year. But I’m not here to make excuses or say that was a PI. We just lost the game. I want to give credit to the Seahawks. They played a good game. It was a well-fought, 60-minute game on both sides of the ball. I’m not trying to get into that discussion right now.”
Gronkowski had an eventful night even before that final play. He was placed in the concussion protocol for four plays after he was drilled by safety Earl Thomas. Gronk said he got his wind knocked out, but he was summoned to the sideline by the medical staff for tests he passed.
“That was a big hit, for sure, probably one of the hardest I got hit in my career, for sure, by a good player, a good, fast player who is like a missile,” Gronkowski said. “It was a good, clean hit. Nothing against it. Just took it. Just knocked the wind out of me a little bit. That’s all. If you ever get the wind knocked out of you, you know what that feels like. Just down for about a minute or two
“It was a good clean hit. I have no problem with it. He hit me fair and square. It’s football. You’re going to get laid out eventually.”
Hobbled quarterback
Brady was a bit gimpy after the game and favored his right leg as he stepped up to the podium for his news conference. He admitted it stemmed from Chancellor’s roughing the passer penalty in the third quarter when the safety hit Brady’s knee.
The quarterback said it didn’t impact his performance.
“It’s a little sore, but a lot of guys are pretty sore,” Brady said.
Still waiting
The Patriots’ latest highly anticipated return was put on hold last night.
Running back Dion Lewis remained out of action against the Seahawks, just a day after he was activated from the physically unable to perform list. Lewis was medically cleared to play, according to a source, but the Patriots opted to keep him off the field rather than utilizing him on a limited basis.
This decision could be explained in two ways. First, considering the Patriots’ seven-player inactive list was full of healthy scratches, they determined to use Lewis’ spot on someone who could have had a greater role in the game plan against the Seahawks, both offensively and on special teams.
Second, this will give Lewis an extra week to continue rebuilding strength around the knee. And if he makes his debut Sunday against San Francisco, it’ll be a less taxing test than what the Seahawks presented last night at Gillette Stadium.
Also, though Lewis has been medically cleared, it doesn’t necessarily mean the Patriots would have had the same performer as the electric buzz saw from 2015. Lewis tore his ACL last November and needed a second surgery this summer to repair a fractured patella, so it’s unrealistic to believe he’ll be at full strength upon his return.
It’s a building process, and one that will take at least one more week.