Charles Barkley: the 'Gronk route' that spearheaded Rob Gronkowski's Patriots Hall of Fame career – New England Patriots

Charles Barkley: the ‘Gronk route’ that spearheaded Rob Gronkowski’s Patriots Hall of Fame career  New England Patriots

Picture yourself as a linebacker in an NFL defense playing against the Patriots at the peak of their dynastic powers. Patriots Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady is under center. To his right in a three-point stance is a 6-6, 265-pound tight end: he can block like an offensive tackle, his catch radius is enormous, he’s deceptively fast, and he’s a runaway freight train in the open field. Brady calls for the snap and the backside guard pulls. The hulking tight end releases and Brady turns around to hand the ball off to the running back — everything screams it’s a run as you come downhill at the line of scrimmage. But it’s not a run.

Instead, Brady fakes the handoff and it’s a play-action pass. Now the tight end is running past you to climb over the second level of the defense. He reads the coverage shell. If it’s a single-high safety, he takes his route across the field, and before you know it, Brady whips the ball to him on a crossing route, and now a 6-6, 265-pound hulk is moving at full speed in the open field. Frankly, you’re screwed. The scenario we just described happened countless times during soon-to-be inducted Patriots Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski's illustrious career. To unlock Gronk’s elite catch-and-run skills, New England’s