The plan was to bring Rob Gronkowski along slowly. Some eight months after offseason knee surgery, the Patriots tight end would be eased back into the offense, partly because he's too valuable to be without late in the season, but also because he's one of quarterback Tom Brady's most reliable targets.
On Sunday in Buffalo, Gronkowski proved his worth, hauling in seven passes for 94 yards, and that comes a week after a six-catch, 100-yard effort against the then-undefeated Bengals.
After the Pats beat the Bills, 37-22, Brady announced that Gronk is back.
“He’s a great player and he’s playing great. So it’s great for a quarterback,” Brady said, via ESPNBoston.com. “I have a lot of confidence in him, I love playing with that guy. Great to be out there with him.”
Gronkowski, who is listed at 6-6, 265-pounds, took several big hits from the Buffalo defense but also showed glimpses of his ox-like strength.
“They were giving me some lickings,” the tight end admitted. “All you can do is get right back up and get right back in the huddle and go on to the next play. It’s part of the game and sometimes I like getting lit up."
So did the hits empower him?
"Yes, definitely,” he said. “It’s the game of football. I’m not stepping out on that field thinking that I’m just going to be able to get out there and not get hit. No way.”
That's right: laying the wood to Gronk only makes him stronger.
“He’s a great option out there,” Brady continued. “So if they don’t cover him, he usually gets it. If they put extra guys on him then it frees everybody else up. He’s tough to stop. You put a safety on him, he’s got size. You put a linebacker on him, he’s got speed. He’s been that way since he got into the NFL.
