New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski doesn't seem particularly concerned by the tactics employed by defensive backs throughout the NFL in Week 1, despite his own limited output.
Gronkowski was held to two catches for 33 yards as the Patriots lost 42-27 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener.
Although the Chiefs employed bump-and-run coverage downfield, leading some to believe that they got away with numerous pass interference and holding penalties, Gronkowski has no issue with it.
"If I was one of those DBs, and you've seen film over the last few years, I would definitely be doing that if I was a DB - 100 percent," Gronkowski said to ESPN's Mike Reiss. "You don't really see it called ever, so I've just got to play with it. Play how the game is called. If I was a DB, I'd do that too."
Gronkowski also noted that he's not worried about incurring penalties while playing.
"I feel like whenever I think about that - 'I can't be physical because of the referee, I might get a penalty' - I actually feel myself off my game. So I feel like I should just play my game and just (don't) worry about what the refs call, and be physical," he said. "I don't like thinking, 'I can't be physical on this play.' You just don't feel right. I'm just going to stick to my game and just do what I got to do, and do it better."
