If some is good, more is better –right? Well that’s certainly the case when it comes to the tight ends for the New England Patriots. Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski have been creating matchup nightmares for defensive coordinators all year long, and it’s not getting any easier to stop them.
Under Brady & Belichick, the Patriots offense has evolved from the dink and dunk days of Troy Brown and David Patten, to the big play offense with Randy Moss, to the screen and pick plays of Wes Welker and Deion Branch. But this two headed tight end attack is a beast that the NFL has never seen before. Too big to be guarded by corners and safeties, yet too fast to be defensed by linebackers, not only are these tight ends among the best at their position, they are often on the field at the same time. Throughout the season, we have seen Gronkowski drag defenders up and down the field using sheer strength and determination, while Hernandez nimbly sidesteps tackles and makes it rain once in the end zone. Super Bowl XLVI is the perfect stage for anyone who doesn’t already know about these two to get an up-close look at history in the making.
A Season for the Record Books
While it may not be the most talked about set of records in the NFL, in 2011, Rob Gronkowski set the mark for both receiving yards (1,327), and receiving touchdowns (17) by a tight end. When you mix in the numbers Hernandez contributed, the tight ends for the Patriots set an NFL team record with 24 touchdown catches and 2,237 receiving yards. According to NBC Sports, Hernandez and Gronkowski are the first pair of tight ends in NFL history to catch 5 touchdown passes in consecutive seasons with the same team.
Opening Up the Game for Others
While the direct impact of the Patriots’ tight end “twins” being on the field is easily evident, there is an indirect impact as well, that has opened things up for the rest of the New England skill players. While a two tight end set usually meant that teams were running the ball, with the receiving threat these two pose, defenses can’t be so aggressive in run stoppage, opening up easier holes for Green-Ellis and Woodhead.
One of the most effective ways to stop these prolific tight ends is to double-team them in pass coverage, leaving fewer defenders for Wes Welker and Deion Branch to have to work on. Even when the tight ends don’t catch the ball, they are having a huge impact on this Patriots offense that is one of the most efficient in years.
Animosity? Please
These two tight ends are as close as any pair of teammates in recent Patriots history. Their lockers sit side by side, they often room together on the road, and most importantly, they feed off each other’s success. “A lot of people say that just to say it, but we really are [brothers],” Hernandez said. “We’re really close. We love each other, and we have a great relationship.”
Their close relationship and success have led many fans to try coming up with a nickname for the pair – and they’ve heard some of the better ones out there. Hernandez likes “Shake and Quake,” and Gronkowski is a fan of “The Boston T.E. Party,” but they’ve decided to put their heads together and come up with their own label.
“I keep getting asked about the two nicknames,” Gronkowski said. “Aaron and I are going to meet together, and we are going to think of a name. It is pretty fun that they are thinking of a name, but “Shake and Quake?” I like “The Boston T.E. Party,” that was pretty cool. I guess those two are the top contenders right now.”
New England fans don’t care which nickname they decide upon, so long as they help the Patriots win another Super Bowl.