Rob Gronkowksi has thoughts
Pats great talks Mac, 'Billy O'
Rob Gronkowski has two words of advice for Mac Jones: “Learn defenses.”
Gronkowksi, the former New England and Tampa Bay tight end, doesn’t mean just learn defenses during games. He means Jones should learn defenses in practice. Learn defenses in meetings. Learn defenses during off days. And learn defenses in the offseason.
“The advice for Mac Jones is just learn the defenses, understand the defenses. When you go to the line of scrimmage, you’re not thinking at all, obviously you got to learn the playbook, the offensive side of the playbook, that’s aspect No. 1. But aspect No. 2 is to learn every single defense out there,” Gronkowski said.
And some defenses are more important than others, according to Gronkowski.
“Your divisional opponents, study them up, know who the ‘Mike’ linebacker is, the middle linebacker, who you got to point out every single play to help out the offensive line to know who’s blocking who. Understand what’s going on on the defensive side of the ball so you can control the entire offense and you can make the best call. You can make the best audible, and you can put your players around you in the best situation possible every single time, for every single play.”
This is the sort of tough love and Big Brotherly advice that was absent much of last season when it came to the Patriots’ offense. Matt Patricia may have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but he could not get away with playing an offensive coordinator on TV.
Jones saw his numbers drop across the board in 2022. Only 9 of 31 other NFL teams scored fewer touchdowns than New England. Jones threw 14 TDs and 2,997 yards, compared to 22 scores and 3,801 yards as a rookie.
Gronkowski sees the return of Bill O’Brien as significant in reversing Jones’ slide.
Very significant. O’Brien and Jones were together at Alabama.
“They had a great connection there, a great feel for each other there. I played with Billy O. for two years, my rookie year and second year. And I love Coach Billy O. He got you motivated. He got you to step out on the field and want to practice. He got you to step out on the field and want to play in the games. You want to go to war with Billy O. and he would go to war with you. That’s how the atmosphere felt like when he was there as my offensive coordinator,” Gronkowski said.
Gronkowski’s praise for O’Brien remains effusive.
“I believe he’s got a great knowledge of football. The offense that he plays, the style that he has, he knows how to put his players in the best possible position to succeed. He understands talent, he understands how to use guys. And Billy O., on top of it, has a great personality. He understands how to deal with other humans in meeting rooms, he knows how to deal with players. Billy O. was basically the only hire that the New England Patriots could have made to improve. And on top of it, they had to pay Billy O. … and give him full control of the offense.”
Speaking of divisional opponents, Gronk believes Aaron Rodgers might — after more than a halfcentury of futility — be a solution for the Jets.
“That is a great destination for him.” Gronkowski said. “I kind of want to see it happen. It would be best for all parties. They’re always butting heads. I just feel like a clean slate for both sides, for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, would be a great deal.”
And the benefit would be two-fold. “The Jets, they need a guy like Rodgers. They’re young, they’re ready to go. They had the offensive rookie of the year , they have the defensive rookie of the year , they have a couple other good players out there. They’re just one step away. And Rodgers would definitely take them to at least a playoff-caliber team, and possibly in the running to make a run at a Super Bowl.”
Speaking of the Super Bowl, Gronkowski likes the Dallas Cowboys next season.
Yes, Dallas. “They finally pull it through.”
Gronkowski made the media rounds as a prelude to the launch of mobile sports betting in the Bay State on Friday. He is a spokesman and frustrated kicker for FanDuel.
Gronk participated in the first-ever live Super Bowl commercial last month. His FanDuel “Kick of Destiny” appeared to be good on live TV. But in real life, the stiff wind of the Arizona desert sent it very wide left.
Gronk remains humbled by the experience.
He had the best kicker this side of Messi, Adam Vinatieri , as his coach. Gronk went eight-for-eight in practice before the live shot. But while his former teammate Tom Brady may have gotten the better of Father Time. Gronk stood no chance against Mother Nature.
Gronk has four Super Bowl rings. He scored twice when the Tampa Buccaneers beat Kansas City in Super Bowl 55. Likely his final points on a Super Bowl Sunday.
“When it comes to crunch time, that’s when I perform and I kicked that thing and I was like, ‘I hit that thing right on the money.’ The height, the power, I looked up,
I go, ‘That’s going right through.’ And then, let me tell you, the wind, Mother Nature goes, ‘No, uh-uh, you ain’t scoring more points during a Super Bowl. You already have enough touchdowns and points. You’re not going to make a field goal now live during the Super Bowl commercial.’ Mother Nature came in, swiped that ball, swooped it all the way to the left out of nowhere. But right when I kicked, it felt so good.”
But as Oscar Madison taught us back in the day. “There’s no such thing as a sure thing. That’s why they call it gambling.”
Even with Gronk.