FOXBORO, Mass. — It’s appropriate Bill Belichick praised Rob Gronkowski for his run blocking skills this week. The big New England Patriots tight end’s most famous run block came against a Week 3 opponent.
Gronkowski blocked safety Sergio Brown on a Jonas Gray touchdown run late in the Patriots’ Week 11 win over the Indianapolis Colts last year. Then Gronkowski kept blocking him, and blocking him and blocking him, drawing a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness. Gronk said after the game, “he was yappin’ at me the whole time, so I took him and threw him out of the club.”
Brown now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England’s Week 3 opponent, and Gronkowski had nothing but good things to say about the the safety on Thursday in the Patriots’ locker room.
“He’s a good player,” Gronkowski said. “I have respect for how he prepares for the game, how hard he works, and for him as a player. It’s not just about Sergio Brown, though, it’s about the defense as a whole, too. …
“Emotions were flying high that day. I’ve got nothing but respect for Sergio. He’s a great player. We’ve just got to go out there and worry about the Jaguars as a whole.”
Brown was Gronkowski’s teammate on the Patriots in 2010 and 2011.
Gronkowski only caught four passes on five targets for 71 yards and a touchdown against the Colts in that Week 11 game, and Brown held him to one catch for 16 yards in coverage. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was 19 of 30 for 257 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while the team mostly focused on the ground game. The Patriots ran the ball 44 times for 246 with four touchdowns.
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
