Rob
Gronkowski is known by more nicknames than the famed
"Gronk" around the Pittsburgh
Steelers locker room.
Steelers coaches and players have
called Gronkowski everything from "freak" to "dangerous
man" this week as they prepare for the tight end who's tortured their
defense for years.
Coach Mike Tomlin has seen
effective coverages against Gronkowski in the past.
The numbers validate Tomlin's
point. In Gronkowski's past five games against Pittsburgh, he has 34 catches
for 592 yards and five touchdowns. That's more yardage than all but eight NFL
tight ends produced in the entire 2017 regular season.
The Steelers (7-5-1) have tried a
bit of everything on Gronkowski, who last season was kept relatively in check
before exploding for 69 yards on the final drive of the Patriots' 27-24
victory. Oh yeah, he also caught a two-point conversion after that drive.
Safety Sean Davis was
covering Gronkowski for most of that game, and the performance still bothers
him, though he's resigned to the fate that Gronkowski makes ridiculous catches
through tight coverage.
Davis has moved from strong to
free safety, so he won't match up with Gronkowski on Sunday. But he's got a
promise on which to deliver.
Questions persist about whether
Gronkowski's game is deteriorating due to mounting injuries over nine seasons.
From 2010 to 2017, Gronkowski produced at least eight touchdowns in every
season with 10 or more games played. This season, he has three touchdowns in 10
games, along with a modest 637 yards on 43 receptions.
But he still garners the same
respect in the Steelers locker room. Defenders say his massive 6-foot-6,
268-pound frame makes contesting catches difficult for defensive backs, and
Gronkowski is athletic enough to get past linebackers.
The Patriots move Gronkowski
around enough that everyone must be ready. Slot corner Cam Sutton doesn't
expect just one player to shadow Gronkowski. "Everybody in the
secondary" can get lined up with him on a given down, he said.
HOW GRONK TORMENTS
PITTSBURGH
Rob Gronkowski is atop the
Steelers' scouting report after 592 yards in his past five games against them.
|
SEASON
|
STAT LINE
|
W
|
|
2017
|
Nine catches, 168 yards
|
Patriots
|
|
2016
|
Four catches, 93 yards, TD
|
Patriots
|
|
2015
|
Five catches, 94 yards, 3 TDs
|
Patriots
|
|
2013
|
Nine catches, 143 yards, TD
|
Patriots
|
|
2011
|
Seven catches, 94 yards
|
Patriots
|
|
Average yards per catch: 17.4
|
||
Mixing coverages can help,
because as defensive coordinator Keith Butler points out, quarterback Tom Brady "will
hurt you" if you stay in the same look all game. Brady has 23 touchdowns
and one interception in his past eight games against Pittsburgh, with seven
wins.
The Steelers' defense is not
exactly brimming with confidence entering this crucial matchup. The unit hasn't
picked off a pass since Week 10, and during this three-game losing streak,
Pittsburgh has given up five drives of 60-plus yards in the fourth quarter.
But linebacker T.J. Watt likes
his defense against any NFL team -- as long as the Steelers do a few things.
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