How Rob Gronkowski Can Make History With Monster Game In Super Bowl LII
Rob Gronkowski is already building a case as the best tight end to ever play in the NFL. And thanks in large part to playing for Bill Belichick and catching passes from Tom Brady, he gets to play in a ton of playoff games.
So naturally, the tight end is in the middle of tearing through the NFL postseason record book.
Gronk continued to climb the ranks of the NFL’s most prolific playoff tight ends with a strong game against the Titans in the Divisional round and a 21-yard catch against the Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game. He now has 856 career receiving yards in the playoffs, breaking Dallas Clark’s record of 847 as a tight end.
In Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles, Gronk has a chance to overtake even more playoff marks. He needs six catches to jump from fifth to first among all tight ends in career playoff receptions. Gronkowski sits at 59, while Clark leads with 64.
The tight end can also tie former Steelers receiver John Stallworth at 12 career playoff touchdowns if he can nab two scores against the Eagles. If he gets three … he’d be behind only Jerry Rice (22) for the most career playoff touchdown catches. By anyone. He already holds the TD record for tight ends.
As far as the Super Bowl single-game records for tight ends, Dan Ross is the gold standard. The Malden, Mass. native caught 11 passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns – all Super Bowl records for tight ends – in the Cincinnati Bengals’ 26-21 loss to Joe Montana and the 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. Gronk’s six-catch, 68-yard performance with a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIX is already one of the best games by a tight end in the history of the big game.
Left-right: Rob Gronkowski, Bill Belichick (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
More Gronkowski Playoff Records
Of course, Gronkowski’s status for the Super Bowl is a bit up in the air. The Patriots listed him as a non-participant with a concussion in their projected injury report. But reportedly, the team is otherwise optimistic that he will clear the NFL’s concussion protocol in time for Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis.
So not only would Gronk be an absolute warrior if he bounced back from his concussion to put up monster numbers in the Super Bowl, he’d also become the greatest playoff tight end in history in the process. That’s insane, considering he’s still just 28 years old.
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The Eagles will have their hands full with Gronk if he plays, just like any defense. The Patriots may want to check out how Andy Reid’s Chiefs ate up their defense with tight end Travis Kelce, who caught 8 out of 10 targets for 103 yards and a touchdown in Week 2.
If Gronk somehow puts up an outrageous line – something like 8 catches, 140 yards, and three touchdowns – he’d do more than accomplish the rare feat of a Patriots Super Bowl MVP not named Tom Brady. He’d officially stake his claim as the GOAT tight end – perhaps only halfway through his career.
— By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
