New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has not been his usual dominating self so far this season. Here are three concerns surrounding the All-Pro tight end.
The New England Patriots are 6-2 at the midway point of the season. Considering how the team started, the team’s current five game winning streak should leave fans feeling good about team heading into the second half of the season.
However, there are some concerns surrounding the 2018 version of the Patriots entering the second half of the NFL season. One of those concerns is the lack of production coming from the tight end position, namely one Rob Gronkowski.
With just one touchdown in eight games, the big tight end just doesn’t look right. Not only is he behind his usual statistical pace, he just looks like he lost a step on the field. There could be factors behind that including injury and how he is being covered, but there is enough frustration coming from Gronkowski to raise some concern.
In his press conference with the media Wednesday, the All-Pro tight end wasn’t his usual happy self. He was able to crack a joke about the end zone missing him, but overall, Gronkowski claims his confidence is good, but his tone suggested a few things need improvement.
When it comes to his touchdown drought, Rob Gronkowski didn’t back away from a number of reasons factoring in to his lack of red zone targets and Gronk spikes.
"“I’m not really sure,” Gronk said when asked about the drought. “yeah, everything. Everything you said. I don’t know what to say.”"
What fans are waiting for is for Rob Gronkowski to do the talking on the field, primarily in the end zone.
Here are three concerns surrounding the New England Patriots tight end going into the final eight games of the 2018 NFL season.
Maybe Gronkowski has lost a step
Entering the season at 29 years of age and with the amount of injuries Rob Gronkowski has endured, it may be just that the dominate tight end is not as fast as he was.
It is also possible the New England Patriots are just holding back on how they use Gronk. Remember, Gronkowski didn’t look complete during the first half of the 2017 season before he went off in an epic game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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That could very well happen against the Green Bay Packers in Week 9. If it doesn’t and Gronkowski still struggles to get open, one has to wonder if the speed has inclined. Still, with his size, the 6-foot-7 tight end should still be able to be a viable target based on his size.
Overall, Rob Gronkowski still has numbers most tight ends around the NFL would dream of. In the 7 games he has played, he has 29 receptions for 448 yards, which has him just about on pace for another 1000-yard season.
The lack of touchdowns and targets in the end zone is a concern considering how the team has struggled to score touchdowns once inside the 20.
If Tom Brady can’t rely on Rob Gronkowski in that area, especially in that area, then the offense won’t be as unstoppable once the field is shortened. If there is a decline in speed, the big man has to find a way to adjust his game to continue to be effective.
The back is a serious issue
Something no one is talking about or even acknowledging is how Rob Gronkowski’s back issue could be impacting him mentally.
Though the spasms that kept him out of the Week 7 matchup against the Chicago Bears weren’t deemed as serious, the number of back issues Gronkowski has faced as to be a concern. Physically, it appears his battling through it.
Mentally, however, he could be so concerned about another serious back injury that he is not going full speed. It is also possible that the thoughts of retirement are looming once again in his head.
Hopefully that is not the case. If it is the case, let’s just hope Gronkowski works his way through the rest of the season and deep into the playoffs. The New England Patriots don’t need him to win many of these games, but they do need a locked in Rob Gronkowski to have a chance of competing for another Super Bowl.
The good news is that the player caught two huge passes late in the Kansas City Chiefs game is still there. The concern is whether his desire to be on the field and take the abuse on his body is still there.
Not the primary target anymore
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are boys, but that doesn’t mean Brady is necessarily looking his way first.
That has a lot to do with the coverage Gronkowski draws whenever he goes out for a pass, but it also has something to do with Julian Edelman’s return, the reliability of James White and the emergence of Josh Gordon.
With more targets, Brady simply doesn’t need to lock in on Gronkowski like he was early in the season when the 41-year-old quarterback simply had no one to throw to. This is not entirely bad. In fact, it could benefit the offense if the big target is not the featured target.
Like in the Kansas City game when Rob Gronkowski averaged 32.3 yards per reception, Brady can get the ball to Gronk when the game really matters. Approaching 30 and with the amount of abuse his body has taken, dialing back his role a little could be beneficial to Gronk.
He may be frustrated due to the lack of touchdown targets but adjusting his game to be a factor in other areas of the offense may be the route No. 87 need to go.
Of course, these three concerns just make be wiped away come Sunday night when Rob Gronkowski goes off against the Packers. Or, they can come more into focus if his targets remain low and his production remains on a steady decline.