Tom Brady’s pass wasn’t on target, but Rob Gronkowski caught it anyway. He reached his big left hand out and pulled it into his body and braced for contact. He turned and blasted his way through would-be tacklers and turning a short throw into a 20-yard gain extending a drive that culminated in Tampa Bay’s game-winning field goal Thursday.
As I watched it, all I could think was: I was wrong about Rob Gronkowski.
When the Patriots granted their former tight end’s trade request to reunite with Brady, I wrote: “the Patriots are getting value for what’s left of their once great tight end,” and “In Gronkowski, the Bucs are getting the version of John Smoltz who pitched for the Red Sox and the David Backes who played for the Bruins.”
I thought he was done. He isn’t.
Gronkowski could barely move at times in 2018. Even in the locker room, he looked uncomfortable. The pain was both affecting his play on the field and sapping his joy off of it. Gronk looked prematurely old because of all the hits he absorbed turning short throws into long gains.
I thought a year off promoting cannabis and beach parties had made him forget how much football hurts. I figured when this slower version returned to safeties and linebackers crashing into him 40 times a night, Rob Gronkowski would look like a shell of his Gronk legend.
I was wrong. Gronk succeeded where Ponce de Leon failed in rediscovering youth in Florida. Some combination of TB12 water, cannabis and rest has made him look great and me stupid.
History will remember Thursday’s game for Gronkowski and Brady becoming the second duo to combine for 100 touchdown passes together, but the Buccaneers have lots of guys who can catch touchdowns. They don’t have anyone else who can repel tacklers the way Gronkowski did Thursday night.
In 2020, he hadn’t yet built back up to full power. He’s there now. Who knows how long he can keep it up? His playing style leaves him open to jarring blows. That’s a question for later. Much of the narrative around the defending champion Buccaneers was whether they could be as good as they were with all their starters back. If Gronk can play like this, they could be better.
That should terrify the rest of the NFL.
Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.
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