Had it not been for the catch/no-catch craziness in the final moments, last year’s New England Patriots-Pittsburgh Steelers epic would have been remembered as The Rob Gronkowski Game.
With the Patriots trailing late in the fourth quarter, Gronkowski, who’s tormented the Steelers throughout his NFL career, spearheaded one of the most dominant drives of the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era.
Brady targeted him on four consecutive plays, resulting in three catches for 69 yards to set up Dion Lewis for what proved to be the game-winning 8-yard touchdown in a 27-24 victory in front of a stunned crowd at Heinz Field.
Gronkowski beat overmatched Steelers safety Sean Davis on all three of those receptions, then cackled with glee after demoralizing Davis again on the ensuing two-point conversion, producing this iconic shot by USA TODAY Sports photographer Philip G. Pavely:
Gronkowski finished that game with career-high 168 yards on nine catches, accounting for more than half of Brady’s 298 passing yards.
Preventing a repeat performance from the All-Pro tight end will be one of the Steelers’ top priorities this weekend.
“He’s a dangerous man. He’s Gronk.” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin, whose team will host the Patriots this Sunday, said Wednesday in a conference call with New England reporters. “He’s a vertical matchup. He’s a big-time playmaker. He’s good with the ball in his hands after the catch. He’s a big-time competitor. It is a serious job to work to minimize his impact on the game.”
Minimizing Gronk’s impact is something the Steelers never have been able to accomplish since the big tight end entered the NFL in 2010. Gronkowski has surpassed 90 receiving yards in five of his six career games against Pittsburgh, and in the sixth (a five-catch, 72-yard effort in his rookie year), he scored three touchdowns.
Tomlin hasn’t needed to remind his troops about the threat Gronkowski poses.
“I think that goes without saying, obviously,” Tomlin said. “Those that were a part of us (last year) understand that. Those that weren’t care less. We’d better be concerned about preparing ourselves to minimize his impact and do what it is that we need to do to be successful this time around.”
Gronkowski’s numbers are down this season as he’s battled multiple injuries, but he’s coming off one of his finest performances of the year, catching eight passes on eight targets for 107 yards and a touchdown in a 34-33 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Gronk’s history against the Steelers could make a difference in the point spread, so make sure you’re doing all your NFL betting at Skybook.ag, one of the best online sportsbooks.
