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Factoid

Tight ends

Gronkowski scoring on longer touchdowns

Rob Gronkowski is heralded as a great red zone weapon – a guy who creates monster mismatches around the goal line. But I don’t think that’s quite it. I think his best work is elsewhere on the field.

More so than catching short flips around the goal line, it’s Gronkowski’s size and ability to get open downfield that creates big problems. In New England’s offense, they often have the wide receivers (especially Edelman and Amendola) running the short, tight end-type routes, with Gronkowski getting further downfield than most tight ends.

Over the past four years, Gronkowski’s 30 touchdown catches have come from an average of 18 yards. That’s the 3rd-highest number among the 28 tight ends with at least 10 touchdowns.

TIGHT END DISTANCE AVERAGES (2013-16)
PlayerTeamTDAvg
Vernon DavisS.F.-Was.1722.1
Coby FleenerInd.-N.O.1819.4
Rob GronkowskiN.E.3017.8
Travis KelceK.C.1417.6
Charles ClayMia.-Buff.1617.3
Jordan CameronCle.-Mia.1317.1
Greg OlsenCar.2216.5
Delanie WalkerS.F.-Ten.2316.4
Jimmy GrahamN.O.-Sea.3416.4
Zach ErtzPhil.1314.8
Julius ThomasDen.-Jac.3314.6
Kyle RudolphMinn.1714.5
Dwayne AllenInd.1614.1
Lance KendricksRams1313.5
Richard RodgersG.B.1212.5
Jason WittenDall.1912.0
Gary BarnidgeClev.1311.8
Jordan ReedWash.2011.7
Tyler EifertCin.2011.4
Martellus BennettChi.-N.E.2111.0
Anthony FasanoK.C.-Ten.1110.9
Mychal RiveraOak.1010.7
Brent CelekPhil.1010.6
Antonio GatesS.D.2810.5
Jermaine GreshamCin.-Ariz.1210.0
Cameron BrateT.B.119.4
Benjamin WatsonN.O.108.3
Owen Daniels3 tms104.6

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index