AN OPENING FOR GRONK

Last time the Chargers came to Gillette, it was death by a thousand checkdowns. Gus Bradley’s defense allowed James White and Rex Burkhead to catch 12 passes for 153 yards. There may have been some defensive breakdowns, as Burkhead sometimes caught the ball with 10 yards of open space in front of him, but generally the Chargers were willing to live with Tom Brady’s short completions. The 2018 Chargers allowed 973 receiving yards to running backs, the second highest total by any NFL defense over the past decade. The vulnerabilities are still there. But as the Chargers flood the middle of the field with defensive backs, playing linebacker-free football, they’re perhaps in better position to deal with the short passing game. The upshot of that? If the Chargers’ zone defenders are concerned with the passes to the flat, Rob Gronkowski could find space between the short and deep zones. This is where Tom Brady could take some shots to the big fella.