5 Buccaneers players the Carolina Panthers must keep quiet in Week 16
By Jason Huber
Rob Gronkowski – TE
Everybody knows how good Rob Gronkowski is and at this point in his career, the only thing really holding him back is his age and injuries.
After a down year in 2020 when he was working his way back from a year of retirement, Gronkowski proved he’s still got it this season before missing a handful of games with injuries.
However, Gronkowski is coming off a game in which he was targeted 11 times but hauled in just two catches for 29 yards against the New Orleans Saint s in a shutout loss.
With Tom Brady likely not having many of his top offensive weapons at the Carolina Panthers, he’s going to be relying on the prolific tight end to provide as much production as possible.
The Arizona product is due to have a big game and the Panthers’ secondary has struggled at times. So they need to step up and make him tire out.
If Carolina can use the youth on defense to its advantage, Gronkowski will eventually wear down as we’ve seen this season. This could lead to the veteran performing below his capabilities, which would be a huge shot in the arm for the Panthers as they look to finish their home campaign on a high.
However, if the Panthers allow Gronkowski to look like the top tight end that he was for many years, they’ll have no shot of winning.