Patriots Gridiron News: Rob Gronkowski still better than Travis Kelce

With the New England Patriots and undefeated Kansas City Chiefs set to square off in a Week 6 Sunday night battle, one of the storylines will be centered around two of the best tight ends in the NFL.

No disrespect.  Rob Gronkowski still holds the reigns as the most dangerous tight ends in the NFL.  On Sunday night, the New England Patriots dynamic playmaker will have a chance to prove he is still a legit weapon to be reckoned with.

Okay, opposing defenses already know this.  Look at how the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions defended him.  Double, tripled team at times, Gronkowski has a weekly battle of getting open through multiple defenders.  That changes now that the Patriots offense have Julian Edelman and now Josh Gordon in the mix.

Like Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who has explosive weapons on around him, Rob Gronkowski now has a chance to show his dominance on the field.  It really isn’t the number that display how lethal either of these tight ends are.  It is their ability to put fear in defenses and do other things on the field to help their teams win.

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That is where Gronkowski is still better than Kelce.  While the Chiefs dynamic tight end is difficult to cover, the Patriots tight end is the better blocker and can impact the game other than catching the ball all over the field. Gronk also shows up in big games unlike the other No. 87.

So, who really is the best tight end when it matters?

Now, what Kelce does have over Rob Gronkowski and perhaps the reason he has been proclaimed as the best tight end the last few seasons is Gronk’s injury history as well as his health.  Unlike Gronk, Kelce has no problem telling the world he is the best.

During an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” back in June, Travis Kelce answered the question on who is the best tight end in the game.

"“Travis Kelce – myself,” Kelce said, as transcribed by NESN.  “Personally, I take that and try and made that a definitive answer every single year.  I know I’ve been u in questions with Gronk the past couple years, and that’s very deserving for Gronk, Gronk’s a hell of a player.“but this year, I’m always trying to one-up and take it to the next level.”"

Kelce is the younger tight end and has been more durable, I’ll give him that.  But, when healthy the way Gronkowski can take over a game with Tom Brady throwing to him is still the better bet when the game is on the line.  That’s what counts.  The sexy numbers are nice, but it’s how a player responds in big moments that make them elite.

Again, add weapons like Julian Edelman, James White and Josh Gordon to the mix and Gronk will once again get favorable matchups making him very tough to stop.  Even if he has lost a stop as former Patriots executive Mike Lombardi has suggested, his power, size and knowledge of the game makes him tough to stop throughout an entire game.

In all, this is a position battle that will play itself out on the field.  So, get your popcorn ready because Pat Mahomes and the high-power Kansas City Chiefs are coming to town.  The stage is set for two of the most dominating tight ends in the NFL to display what makes them so special.

Back in control of the AFC East

With their win on Thursday night combined with the Miami Dolphins loss to the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday and your New England Patriots are back in first place in the AFC East.

The last two weeks is why it is not safe to start parades on the Patriots decline.  With two 38-point performances and a defense that shows up, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are still at the top of the AFC.  The scary part is that they may be getting better than they were the last couple of seasons offensively.

What a difference a couple of weeks make in the NFL.