Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski avoided delivering any hits worthy of suspension against the Bills on Sunday and he also avoided receiving any hits as retribution for the one to the head he gave cornerback Tre’Davious White in the first meeting between the teams.
That left him free to hurt the Bills as a receiver, something he did by catching five passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was a one-handed grab while getting both feet down in the end zone and Gronkowski set up another touchdown when he drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone.
Big games against Buffalo are nothing new for Gronkowski. He has 66 catches for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns against the Bills over the course of his career, all of which are his personal bests against any opponent. Gronkowski grew up near Buffalo and said after the game that background may have something to do with his success against the Bills.
“Sorry to them for that,” Gronkowski said in postgame comments distributed by the team. “But, I mean, I don’t know. It’s cool when you’re hometown team passes on you twice in that draft, and you kind of remember it still. So, no lie. I remember it every single time I play them.”
The Bills took running back C.J. Spiller with the ninth overall pick of that draft and then took defensive tackle Torell Troup with the 41st overall pick. Gronkowski went 42nd and Buffalo would probably like a do-over on letting the hometown hero get away.
