BY DAN BEGNOCHE
The Bills head into their final game this year well aware of that fact as they look to sweep New England to finish off the season.
Second-year Pro Bowl honoree Rob Gronkowski leads all tight ends with 15 touchdowns (nearly half of Tom Brady’s total passing touchdowns), yards and yards per game, and he is second behind the Saints’ Jimmy Graham in receptions with 82. Gronkowski made his mark on the Buffalo defense in their first meeting with the absence of fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez, going for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
Linebacker Chris Kelsay stressed the importance of strong play against both of New England’s tight ends as he spoke with reporters on Wednesday.
“He (Gronkowski) does it all. He’s a great blocker, great receiving tight end, yards after the catch and he’s tough to bring down," Kelsay said. "(Aaron) Hernandez is primarily a receiving tight end, Gronkowski does it all. Anytime you have two young guys like that that play with a chip on their shoulder and expect to win it poses problems for defenses and you’ve seen that throughout the year.”
The Pats haven’t been shy about throwing to Hernandez, either. Despite his low number of touchdowns in comparison to Gronkowski, Hernandez’s six scores are still tied for fifth among tight ends in the league. In the process, he’s amassed 72 receptions (5th) and nearly 800 yards (6th).
While the Bills didn’t get the full effect of the tight end duo the first time around, Kelsay said they are well aware of the threat the two bring when they’re on the field together.
“He (Hernandez) didn’t play (the first meeting) so it’ll be a little bit different offense for us to prepare for,” Kelsay said. “But at the same time we’ve seen him work throughout the season and know what he can do. They’re definitely two great threats on offense for New England.”
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