The Denver Broncos have had many run-ins with Rob Gronkowski through the years, including some of the best performances of his NFL career.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski has apparently retired from the NFL for the second time, meaning one of the best tight ends in league history will not be on the field for his age 33 season.
Over the years, Gronkowski has had a lot of run-ins with the Denver Broncos and for the majority of those, the Broncos have not fared well.
In nine career games (including playoffs) against the Broncos, Gronkowski racked up:
- 58 receptions
- 782 yards
- 7 touchdowns
As he did against many of the teams Gronkowski faced, he had some dominant performances against the Denver Broncos.
Not all of Gronkowski’s best performances against the Denver Broncos ended in heartbreak for Denver, either.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane at three of the best performances we saw from Rob Gronkowski when he went up against the Denver Broncos.
Denver Broncos vs. Rob Gronkowski moment no. 3: January 14, 2012
AFC Divisional Playoffs
- 10 receptions
- 145 yards
- 3 touchdowns
Fresh off of the most thrilling playoff victory in team history, the Tim Tebow-led Denver Broncos were riding high into Gillette Stadium.
One week after Demaryius Thomas blew by the entire Pittsburgh Steelers defense for a thrilling overtime win, the Broncos went into the Patriots’ house and got absolutely demolished.
Nobody on the Denver Broncos’ defense could cover Gronk in this game.
The Patriots would go on to win this particular game by a score of 45-10, one of the worst playoff losses in Denver Broncos history.
Gronkowski, of course, led the way in the Patriots’ rout.
Rob Gronkowski vs. Denver Broncos moment no. 2
2013 regular season: November 24
It was a classic matchup of two AFC titans in the 2013 NFL season.
The Denver Broncos were one of the best offensive juggernauts in the NFL and as usual, no statistical prowess mattered going into Gillette Stadium late in an NFL season.
It was Tom Brady’s house, and the Patriots’ record there reflected that.
In this particular game, the Denver Broncos were sitting really good, leading 24-0 at halftime.
Against the Patriots, though, you can’t sleepwalk your way to any sort of success.
The Pats came out in the second half and scored 21 points in the third quarter, including a touchdown with less than 0:30 on the clock.
That touchdown was scored by none other than Rob Gronkowski, who finished this particular game with seven receptions for 90 yards and the aforementioned score.
Just like Denver Broncos fans fondly remember the huge comeback after halftime of the 2012 regular season game in San Diego, I’m sure New England Patriots fans remember this game very fondly as well, especially because it was another notch on Brady’s belt against Peyton Manning.
It wasn’t until the Patriots had scored 31 unanswered points that the Broncos finally answered with a score of their own, sending the game to overtime where the Patriots managed to win on a Stephen Gostkowski field goal.
Rob Gronkowski vs. Denver Broncos moment no. 1
2015 AFC Championship Game
There could be no other in the number one slot, could there?
As far as individual performance, this was one of the most impressive games of Rob Gronkowski’s fantastic career.
Considering the stakes, the fact that Gronk was coming off of an injury he suffered against the Broncos earlier in the season, and some of the clutch plays he made, I’m not sure he has ever played better football.
On the other side of things, there were some moments in favor of the Broncos against Gronkowski that stand out in this game as well.
The Broncos and Patriots traded blows early on in this game, the Broncos drawing first blood on a touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to Owen Daniels.
The Patriots closed out the first quarter with a touchdown run from Steven Jackson but kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed the extra point, which would prove to be a massive difference-maker in this game overall.
At the start of the second quarter, Tom Brady threw an interception to Von Miller who dropped into coverage on who else? Rob Gronkowski.
It was that interception that set up another touchdown from the Broncos and gave the No Fly Zone the type of lead necessary to really control this game for the next couple of quarters.
Then, in the fourth quarter, it was the Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski show.
In a two-minute drill, the Patriots had a 4th-and-10 from midfield and Rob Gronkowski made a massive 40-yard play to put the Patriots in striking distance, down just eight points.
Four plays later, again on 4th down, Brady went to Gronkowski again and Gronk went up over what felt like the entire Denver Broncos defensive backfield for an impressive touchdown catch to give the Patriots a chance with just 12 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Broncos absolutely did not want to see the Patriots in overtime again, and it all came down to an intense two-point conversion attempt.
Brady would have been better served trying to force the ball to Gronkowski because his attempt to Julian Edelman failed, and the ball was tipped in the air and picked off by Bradley Roby, sending the Denver Broncos to the Super Bowl.
Re-drafting the Denver Broncos last 10 first-round picks
The Denver Broncos have had some hits and some misses in the last decade atop the NFL Draft. How would they do things differently if they could?
Still, it was Gronkowski and his utter physical dominance that kept the Patriots in this game in the first place with two clutch plays on 4th down late in the fourth quarter.