The Man With The Big White Gloves

I'm watching the Giants-Dolphins Monday night game to remind myself how lucky I am to be a Patriots fan.

 

Like most good citizens of Patriots Nation, I turn a come hither gaze toward wide receivers like OBJ or Jarvis Landry. How about any one of those scary Steelers wide receivers. How good would they look catching passes from Tom Brady? I know it ended badly with Randy Moss but just like your crazy ex-girlfriend, when Moss was good, he was incredible. It's easy to fall in love with these guys. Antonio Brown and Julio Jones are dead sexy.

None as sexy as Gronk, though.

You can check out the stats yourself but I was struck by what follows...

Rob Gronkowski ranks 10th in receiving yardage. All ten of those Top 10 players have 1,000+ yards. Julio Jones leads with 1,426; Gronk has totaled 1,018. 

Gronkowski is the only tight end on the list. 

Of the Top 10, he had the best yards per catch average at 16.7 yards. Intrigued, I sorted by "AVG." Again, Gronk was in the Top 10 and again he came in at #10 with Malcom Floyd leading at 18.9 YPC. This time, the number that caught my eye was receptions. Gronkowski had the most of the Top 10 group at 61. TY Hilton was next at 58 with Allen Hurns at 51 and then a drop off to Sammy Watkins at 39.

Gronk also has the best reception percentage for the Top 10 by Average Per Catch Club (2015 Edition) at 63.54%. Watkins and Hurns are the only others in the 60s, 60.94% and 60.71%, respectively. Again, another rather significant drop off to next best Markus Wheaton at 55.17%.

What's it all mean?

Gronk is even more awesome than you thought and I know you thought he was wicked awesome.

The Patriots offense is different when Gronk plays?

Well, duh.