Emotional Rob Gronkwski praises Tom Brady

Rob Gronkowski celebrates a touchdown catch against the Bengals (photo by The Associated Press)

Part of the worry about the Patriots after their devastating loss to the Chiefs, leading up to their matchup with the Bengals, was that the team wasn’t so much a team, but a bunch of guys who all happened to wear the same color jersey on Sundays. After seeing the heart and emotion the Patriots played with Sunday night and hearing their emotional reactions, like this Rob Gronkowski one, I think that fear has been squashed.

It was the little things that spoke to this team becoming a team. Brandon LaFell getting up after catching the first play of the game, animated, excited, involved. Brady and Edelman tossing the ball back and forth after a touchdown and before a spike. Brady pulling the ball down and running. Tim Dwight pumped up after each catch. The team wanted to own the night and they did.

An emotional Gronk spoke about wanting to make Brady look like Brady again in the wake of the media and fan criticism of Brady after the Chiefs game and that it felt good to be able to succeed in doing so.

Brady became the 6th player in NFL history to throw for over 50,000 yards and appropriately enough that throw went to Gronk. This led the first of three stadium wide chants for Brady. Gronk said of Brady, “He’s an unbelievable player, and I'm so glad to play with him.” And Pats fans are right back there with Gronk today happy to have TB12 under center.