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Rob Gronkowski Will Prove Jeremy Lane Wrong In Super Bowl XLIX

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By @MWCompton

Rob Gronkowski

Winslow Townson-USA Today Sports

As if the New England Patriots don’t have enough to play for in the Super Bowl in the wake of Deflategate, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane supplied the Patriots with additional bulletin board material on Thursday when he called out three-time All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, saying: “I actually don’t think he’s that good. He’s okay. He does have a big body. But from what I’ve seen on tape, he doesn’t like you putting your hands on him. So if we put our hands on him and shake him up a little bit, he won’t catch that many balls.”

Lane added that the Seahawks won’t approach defending Gronkowski any differently from how they would any other receiver. That will be a big mistake for the proud Seahawks’ defense. Lane and his comrades in the Legion of Boom should have more respect for Gronkowski and what he is capable of on the field. While being physical and hitting Gronkowski at the line of scrimmage is to be expected, actually slowing him down is another matter.

At 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, Gronkowski can be unstoppable and his return to top form was a big reason for the Patriots’ 2014 success. Slow into stride at the beginning of the season coming off ACL surgery, Gronkowski hauled in 82 Tom Brady passes for 1,124 yards to lead all tight ends and scored 12 touchdowns, which tied him with Antonio Gates and Julius Thomas for the league lead in touchdowns by tight ends.

Additional statistics Lane should note: Gronk leads the NFL in receiving yards after contact; he caught at least three passes in 17 of New England’s 18 games, and he has an incredible 54 touchdowns in 65 regular-season games.

Gronkowski often lines up in the slot, which means Lane (6-foot, 190) may have the chance to cover Gronk in the Super Bowl. Perhaps the outsized Lane will succeed in getting his hands on Gronkowski at the line of scrimmage, but stopping the hulking tight end and shutting him down isn’t likely. The last time the two teams met in 2012, Gronkowski recorded six catches for 61 yards.

Granted, Seattle has a reputation for stifling the production of top tight ends, including the likes of Jimmy Graham and Thomas, but Lane’s bulletin board comments are likely to provide Gronkowski, one of the league’s best pass-catchers, extra motivation. Deflategate promises to be a topic of discussion for the next two weeks, but Lane’s outspoken comments about Gronkowski are certain to fuel the Patriots’ fire that much more.

Lane may not be worried about Gronkowski right now, but he will have the opportunity to back up his words come game day. Chances are the freakishly athletic and nimble Gronk will prove him wrong on the field, where performances outweigh words.

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