GronkNation

08.25.18

Gronk Makes Welcome 2018 Preseason Debut Against the Panthers

Posted by: Gronkowski

Preseason is thankfully coming down to the wire as the Patriots flew to Charlotte for Game 3 against the Carolina Panthers Friday night. 

One of the most important goals for this time of year is just to get through it unscathed, which isn’t always that easy as the Pats learned to their peril with Julian Edelman’s season-ending ACL tear last August. 

Bill Belichick and co. wisely think it’s not worth taking that risk most of the time with Gronk but even he needs to get out there and loosen up before the season really kicks off. 

So the big fella made his 2018 preseason debut on against the Panthers, and while the 25-14 loss is not gonna go down in the history books as one of his greatest games, there was nothing detrimental about it either.

Gronk came, he played, he walked off uninjured and then he fooled around with the media. So business as usual for No. 87.

Rob’s only target came on the second snap of the opening possession, but that was foiled by Carolina defensive end Mario Addison.

“It just didn’t come my way, but all good,” Gronk shrugged when asked about it by reporters in the post-game press conference. 

When no one had a follow up question he beamed: “Great, perfect, thank you guys,” and started to walk off the podium. Easy tiger, you’re not getting away that fast!

Gronk then had to back shuffle giggling to the mic for a bit more grilling. “We’ve just to keep getting better, we’ve got to work harder. Including myself, I’ve got to get a good practice week in … just keep improving.”

Big Rob channeled his inner Belichick with both his words and his wardrobe Friday night by wearing a grey sleeveless hoodie, while Bill was bizarrely dressed in a pink suit jacket that looked like he was already gearing up to knock back mint juleps at the Kentucky Derby. 

But the pastel sports coat didn’t brighten his mood, as Belichick repeated the mantra of "we just have to go back to work. Obviously have a lot of work to do, weren’t able to accomplish much tonight, didn’t play well in any three phases of the game. 

“Just have to go back to work and do a better job than that,” he said in bullet point quotes, according to Boston.com. “We have been in camp for a while, three preseason games, there have been some positive things along the way, but tonight we just weren’t very competitive against a good team. We did a few things, made a few plays in the red area, gained a few yards, but in the end couldn’t really do much.”

Next up, the Pats face their 2007 perfect-season slayers the New York Giants at MetLife on Thursday for the fourth and final preseason game.

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