Stopping Gronk a nightmare for Jaguars defense
JACKSONVILLE — Rob Gronkowski is a Super Freak, but you knew that.
He reminds me of that really, really big kid in Pop Warner Football who is a foot taller than anyone else and weighs at least 50 more pounds. All the quarterback has to do is throw a lollipop pass to him, then watch the kid drag a bunch of Lilliputians across the field.
It’s not an uncommon sight among 6-year-olds. But it’s a bit frightening when you have grown men who are the best in their profession trying to chop down the Gronk.
The pervasive theme for the AFC Championship Game on Sunday is that the Jags are playing with house money and are going to go bust against the Patriots in New England.
Gronk has a lot to do with that pessimistic slant involving the Duval County Nation, where words like “nightmare” have been used this week to describe the problematic ways of dealing with the big picture at tight end.
“Yeah, I think that’s probably a good way to describe it — a nightmare,” said Jaguars coach Doug Marrone. “I just don’t know if there’s any great answer to matching up with him. You’ve seen it now for how long? People have tried all these different things, but at the end of the day, he’s still able to perform in his production.”
The Jaguars have no one who can match up one-onone with Gronk. But nobody does. Linebacker Myles Jack will get in on the action in a committee deal that may also include cornerback Jalen Ramsey, according to some pregame speculation.
Without getting too technical and geeky here, the Jaguars aren’t likely to mess with their base Cover 3 defense that involves a three-deep, four-under zone. So a Stop-Gronk game plan involving FSU alum Ramsey may be an outlier, or just wishful thinking from the safety of the press box.
But no one is cowering in their playbooks or schemes. The Jaguars are taking all the dismissive reviews rather well, mixed in with a few smiles and smirks and understanding that they aren’t going to be one of those intimidated firstgraders.
The Jags’ road to the conference-championship game was plowed in the sweat equity of its defense. The Jags were second in the NFL in sacks (55) and interceptions (21) and scored seven TDs off interceptions or fumble recoveries.
Ramsey and cornerback A. J. Bouye, a UCF alum, are exceptional, which likely leads Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to look for seams in the middle of the field to sustain drives. And that’s where Gronk enters the picture.
“He’s in his own league,” Jack said. “Guys are all over him and he’s still making catches. I’ve seen him run through guys. He is constantly moving forward. Gronk is a hell of a player, man.”
Then there’s always hope that Brady develops a slight cased of amnesia. Gronk Who?
“Hope they don’t throw him the football,” Marrone said. “I hope he drops it. There’s no secret formula. I’d like to watch a game where someone has been able to do it.”
Unfortunately not. In 12 regular-season victories of which Gronkowski was a part, he caught 63 passes for 971 yards and eight touchdowns. Here’s another key stat: From thumb to pinkie, Gronkowski’s hands measure 10 ¾ inches — nearly as long as a football.
“He’s a freak of nature,” defensive lineman and former Gator Dante Fowler said.
“Gronk is Gronk,” Jack said. “He’s 6-8 and hard to cover. He is what he is but we have guys who can give him a challenge.”
Actually, Gronk is only 6-6 and 265.
But it’s understandable if he looms larger than life, with the potential to drag the Jaguars into the bottomless pit of NFL teams broken down like Lilliputians.
gdiaz@orlandosentinel.com