The Redemption of Rob Gronkowski: TE comes up big in his return from suspension

PITTSBURGH — Early Sunday night, Dwayne Allen was walking around the visitors' locker room at Heinz Field letting everyone know what he thought of Rob Gronkowski.



“Gronk GOAT,” he kept repeating. “Gronk GOAT.”

Up until now, the “GOAT” acronym has traditionally been reserved for Tom Brady. But as far as Allen is concerned, the quarterback has to share the handle going forward. Allen and the rest of Gronkowski’s teammates were in awe of the performance put forth by the tight end in Sunday’s dramatic 27-24 win over the Steelers.

“The greatest tight end performance I’ve ever seen live,” Allen said after watching Gronkowski catch nine passes for 168 yards against Pittsburgh.

“That final drive, the last one he took off his toes? Incredible,” said Allen, referencing a catch Gronkowski made just inches off the grass to keep the chains moving on New England’s game-winning drive. “Six-foot-seven guys aren’t supposed to do stuff like that. But Rob Gronkowski can.”

When it comes to Gronkowski, it's easy to run out of superlatives. But just know that if it wasn't for his performance Sunday afternoon against the Steelers, the Patriots would not have won the ballgame.

“He’s a beast, baby,” said running back Dion Lewis with a smile. “He had a week off. He’s probably feeling good out there today. Knowing Gronk, I knew he was going to come out, that whole week off … you got to eat.”

“The guy is … he’s ... have we seen a player like him? You can answer that question. I don’t know,” said special teams captain Matthew Slater. “He’s special. What he did tonight was huge for our football team.

“I think he was disappointed with the way things went in Buffalo. I know he was very contrite about that. He just wants to do what was best for the football team. It’s funny — him and I had a conversation Friday night about him feeling like he needed to have a big game to give the team a boost. I think he did that.”

Gronkowski laid low the last couple of weeks. He wasn’t around in the days leading up to the loss in Miami — a game where his one-game absence was palpable because of his suspension — and cut short his session with the media on Friday.

“I missed the boys,” Gronkowski shrugged after the game. “They’re always grinding every single week. These guys are my teammates, and they’re great to be around. I definitely miss them, and it’s great to be back.”

Gronkowski was in complete command when it mattered. On New England’s game-winning drive, Gronkowski accounted for 69 (nice) of the Patriots’ 77 plays from scrimmage, including three straight catches (back-to-back 26-yarders, followed up by a 17-yarder) that got New England down to the Pittsburgh 8-yard line. That was when Lewis took over, picking up the last eight yards to give the Patriots the lead with 56 seconds to go.

And when New England went for two to stretch the lead to three — and everyone knew who was getting the ball — he came down with it in the corner of the end zone.

“I knew we had to go down, make a drive and just do what you have to do,” Gronkowski said. “If the ball is coming to you, you just have to make some plays. It just went well.

“I love getting in that zone. It feels good. I wish I could be like that 24-7, every week and every day.”

Asked about the “50-50” throws sometimes that are put up there for Gronkowski — like the floater on the two-pointer — Brady redirected the arithmetic, saying those odds were more like 95-5.

“(Gronkowski) played a hell of a game,” Brady marveled. “I’m just really proud of him. That guy fights his ass off every day. I’m happy for him and happy for our team.”