Super Bowl LIII: Rams must not sleep on Gronkowski

The New England Patriots continue to find ways to not only win the AFC East but the AFC Championship each year to roll to the Super Bowl.

As they plan and prepare for Super Bowl LIII, one name that could possibly be heading for his last Super Bowl is possible future Hall of Famer tight end Rob Gronkowski. Once the most prized tight end in the NFL, injuries and age have slowly caught up to the former All-Pro and Pro Bowl tight end, while opposing teams have slightly figured out to play him.

During the regular season, Gronkowski posted 47 catches for 682 yards, with three touchdowns while averaging 14.5 yards per reception. The three touchdowns were the fewest of his career, tied with his 2016 total where he missed eight games due to injury. The Patriots tight end also saw his receptions per game drop to just 3.6, while his yards per game drop to his lowest (52.5 ypg) since his rookie season back in 2010.

Gronkowski always a threat despite poor stats

Despite the drop in production, Gronkowski is still as talented as any receiver who will take the field during Super Bowl LIII and one that Tom Brady still looks to in the clutch. During the season and playoffs, Gronkowski picked up 40 total first downs, including 13 on third down. Along with that, the Patriots tight end was a key target when the team needed 10-plus yards for a first down, catching 31 of 44 passes his way for 21 first downs.

How can the Rams minimise potential impact?

For the Rams and Sean McVay, this will be an extremely difficult task preparing and executing against a player who can make a big play at any time during the game. McVay could look to slow down Gronkowski by using converted safety to linebacker Mark Barron, who has both speed and cover ability to keep up with the tight end.

Another option would be for the Rams to use Aqib Talib who is the teams tallest cornerback, while allowing Marcus Peters to focus on Julian Edelman while allowing Barron to focus on James White out of the backfield.

Nonetheless, the talk of retirement may be on the horizon for Gronkowski, but for now, the Patriots tight end is still a prime weapon and a threat the Rams need to take seriously leading into Super Bowl LIII.