The Pittsburgh Steelers still cannot figure out how to cover Rob Gronkowski.
The American Football Conference East still cannot figure out how to catch up with the New England Patriots and now any team that wants to do it in the playoffs will likely have to do it in Foxborough.
Good luck with all that.
Photo: AFP
The defending Super Bowl champions remain a tough out regardless of circumstance.
The proof on Sunday came to life in a 27-24 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in which the Patriots rallied from an eight-point deficit to score twice in the final four minutes and lock up their record ninth straight division title.
Six days removed from an ugly loss in Miami, the Patriots (11-3) ended Pittsburgh’s eight-game winning streak with a late goal-line stand and a dive into the NFL rule book by referee Tony Corrente that overturned Pittsburgh’s apparent game-winning touchdown.
And no, New England head coach Bill Belichick insists, as the years pass and the Patriots remain above the fray, luck has nothing to do with it.
“Just keep competing,” Belichick said. “Just keep competing for 60 minutes. That’s what you do. Just keep competing.”
Nobody does it better than the Patriots. Having Gronkowski helps.
The superstar tight end continued his career-long domination of the Steelers.
He went into the game averaging 99 yards receiving against Pittsburgh and was even better in front of the largest crowd to watch an NFL game at Heinz Field, finishing with nine receptions for 168 yards, including three on New England’s game-winning drive.
“I love getting in that zone,” Gronkowski said. “It feels good. I wish I could be like that 24-7, every week and every day.”
Pittsburgh safety Sean Davis spent New England’s final possession lined up across from Gronkowski and nearly sealed the victory, but let a potential game-clinching interception smack off his fingertips.
Given a second chance, Brady just kept lobbing the ball to Gronkowski. Each time, Gronkowski came down with it.
“I battled, man, that whole game with them,” Davis said. “We came up short that last drive. That’s pretty much it.”
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