Patriots' Rob Gronkowski: I don't blame DBs for aggressive coverage
— -- FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski faced aggressive coverage downfield from Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry and others in last week's NFL opener, and he doesn't blame them for it.
In fact, he said if referees will allow it, he'd advise it.
"If I was one of those DBs, and you've seen film over the last few years, I would definitely be doing that if I was a DB -- 100 percent," he said. "You don't really see it called ever, so I've just got to play with it. Play how the game is called. If I was a DB, I'd do that too."
Asked if the opener was a good example of that, he said, "Sometimes."
Gronkowski was held to two receptions for 33 yards in the game. He was targeted six times.
Berry, one of the NFL's best safeties, deserves some of the credit for that lower-than-expected production. There were also a few close calls in which officials could have thrown penalty flags for pass interference or holding.
As for his own physicality, Gronkowski relayed that he tries to cut loose while also attempting to stay within the rules.
"I feel like whenever I think about that -- 'I can't be physical because of the referee, I might get a penalty' -- I actually feel myself off my game. So I feel like I should just play my game and just [not] worry about what the refs call, and be physical," he said. "I don't like thinking, 'I can't be physical on this play.' You just don't feel right. I'm just going to stick to my game and just do what I got to do, and do it better."
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