Tom Brady can be pretty demanding, in case you haven’t heard.
The New England Patriots quarterback did his best reprimanding father impression to Rob Gronkowski on Sunday night, snapping at his star tight end to “stand up” before a second-quarter snap against the Kansas City Chiefs.
So, why did Brady want Gronk to emerge from his crouch? The Patriots QB explained himself Monday morning during his weekly interview with WEEI’s “Kirk & Callahan.”
“The formation was for him to be in a stance,” Brady said. “But based on something I saw, I just wanted him to make sure he had good body presence on (Chiefs linebacker Dee) Ford. Ford was just screaming off the edge most of the night.”
Basically, Brady was expecting some sort of pressure or blitz from Ford and wanted Gronkowski and his 6-foot-6 frame to provide at least the appearance of resistance. Brady ended up calling a timeout as the play clock wound down.
Quarterback and tight end appeared to get along quite well in the Patriots’ 43-40 win, as Gronkowski finished with a team-high 97 receiving yards on three catches.
And in case you’re wondering: Brady (obviously) prefers Gronk over Chiefs stud tight end Travis Kelce.
“I would vote for Gronk 100 times out of 100,” Brady added. “He is a spectacular player and made huge plays when we needed them. He got punt-viced on some of his routes, literally just running into two bodies. They are aware of him on every play. They make it tough for him, but he made the plays when we needed them.
” … He’s doing a great job. I am just so proud of him.”
