FOXBORO, Mass. — Darrelle Revis can sympathize with defenders who have had the unfortunate assignment to cover New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in recent weeks.
The Patriots cornerback and Gronkowski went 1-on-1 in training camp while the big tight end still was recovering from offseason knee surgery, and that was enough for Revis.
“I feel sorry for them,” Revis said Wednesday in the Patriots’ locker room. “I really do because Gronk is tough to cover, man. I feel sorry.”
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said defenders “panic” when they are forced to line up across from the big tight end, who has caught 18 passes for 254 yards with four touchdowns in the last two weeks. Revis described what makes Gronk so tough to cover.
“I wouldn’t blame them for panicking. The guy’s 6-7, he can run, he’s explosive,” Revis said. “You put him in that category of Tony Gonzalez — big bodies, it’s tough to get around them. Sometimes if you might break, you don’t know where the ball’s going to be at. His wingspan, he can throw his hands in the air. There’s so many variables, it’s just so hard to cover a big tight end/receiver like that.”
Photo via Anthony Gruppuso/USA TODAY Sports Images
