Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski had a pretty good night in New England’s 42-20 win over Indianapolis. Gronkowski had four receptions, for 71 yards, and a touchdown. That would likely have been satisfactory in and of itself. But Gronkowski got a little extra satisfaction from the way he worked over Colts safety Sergio Brown.
The Boston Globe observes that Gronkowski seemed to have “a personal, vested interest” in his skirmishes with Brown during the game. It was Brown who, two years ago, broke Gronkowski’s arm on an extra point try when the Patriots and Colts squared off during the 2012 season. That injury ended the season for Gronkowski. The Patriots’ tight end has dealt with other serious injuries since then. As reported in the Inquisitr, ACL surgery threatened the start of Gronkowski’s season this year, although he was ready and played in the Patriots’ first game.
Reporters asked Rob Gronkowski after last night’s game about how physical the game was, particularly his battles with Brown. He didn’t mention Brown by name in his reply, but he hinted that his history with Brown affected how he played.
“It’s part of the game. A lot of emotions. You have to be physically and mentally tough. Everyone on our team was playing hard and playing physical and we went out there and did a great job as a team.”
The play that has everyone talking is one where Gronkowski drove Brown off the field and into an NBC sideline camera. Comcast Sports Net New England reports that Gronkowski considered himself a bouncer of sorts.
He said, “He [Brown] was just yappin’ at me the whole time. So I took him and threw him out of the club.”
The hit earned Gronkowski and the Patriots a 15 yard penalty. But, from Gronkowski’s point of view, it sounds like it was worth it.
Gronkowski’s performance was only one of the high points for the Patriots on Sunday night. Running back Jonas Gray rushed for 199 yards and four touchdowns. Tom Brady was 19 out of 30, for 257 yards. He also threw two interceptions. While there was something for everyone, it was Gray’s performance that most impressed. His four touchdowns are a Patriots franchise record, in only his fourth career game.
The Patriots improved their record to 8-2 with the win, giving them a two-game lead over second place Miami in their division. It was also their fifth win in a row over the Colts. All in all, it was a more than satisfactory night for Rob Gronkowski and the Patriots.
[Images via SB Nation]