Copyright The Boston Herald
In the eyes of Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski, this year’s team is doing “spectacular,” even exceeding the expectations he set with his “great analyst skills” in the preseason. “They are blowing it out of the water compared to what everyone had thought they were going to be,” Gronkowski told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday. “We all knew that it was going to be a big improvement.” Gronkowski commented on this year’s team after the tight end signed a ceremonial one-day contract so he could officially retire as a member of the Patriots. He will serve as the Keeper of the Light ahead of the team’s Week 11 Thursday Night Football tilt versus the Jets. In the preseason, Gronkowski predicted the Patriots would make the playoffs as a wild card team, finishing second in the AFC East, behind Buffalo. New England sits at 8-2, coming off a signature win in its Week 10 matchup versus Tampa Bay, and is one and a half games ahead of the Bills. “I think they are going to be wrong this year,” Gronkowski said of his analyst skills. “We are on track to win the division, knock on wood, and on track to not just get a wild card seed but to get a good seeding in the top four, which makes it a special year here.” Gronkowski also recounted how he said last year that he thought Josh McDaniels would make a good fit as offensive coordinator in New England. That came before McDaniels reunited with the Patriots last January under head coach Mike Vrabel for his third stint with the organization. McDaniels served as Gronkowski’s offensive coordinator, helping coach the team to three Super Bowls with an offense led by quarterback Tom Brady. “Every single week, they are getting better as a team,” Gronkowski said on Wednesday, “and they are correcting their mistakes from the prior week. They are finding ways to have more explosiveness on the offense. I would say that is due to Josh McDaniels.” In 2024, the Patriots posted just 291.9 yards per game and 17.0 points per game, the second and third-worst marks in the league. This year, those numbers are up to 359.1 yards per game and 26.5 points per game, both in the top 10. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye is a big part of that improvement, Gronkowski said. The Fox Sports analyst interviewed Maye before the team’s Week 8 matchup versus Cleveland, and Gronkowski said the quarterback’s answers to his questions impressed him. Maye has emerged as an MVP candidate, throwing for 2,555 yards and 19 touchdowns, while posting strong quarterback ranking, all of which are in the top five at the position. “What I really loved about him was his IQ and his intelligence for the game of football,” Gronkowski said of Maye, “when we were just talking football, and I was asking him questions, and the way he respected the guys that were before him, too.” “Obviously, you’re coming after Tom Brady, you’re always going to be compared to Tom Brady,” Gronkowski added, “but the way he answered the questions showed his respect, but also knew that it is his time and that he has got to do what he has got to do.”
