Report: Patriots bringing back Kenny Britt for Monday's training

FOXBORO – Tom Brady had never really thought about that before. He stood in front of his locker Thursday and he peeked down. He tried to remember.

"The concussion," he said. "Cleveland's game and ACL Denver's game too, do you remember the snow? Yes, he missed the Eagles game."

There was also the game against the Seahawks in 2016. The one where Earl Thomas has turned into a cruise missile in epaulettes.

"Four times," acknowledged Brady. "You're right, brother, you're on something."

The subject was Brady's most valuable teammate, Rob Gronkowski, and the sewing routes that the All-Pro line has been called upon over the years.

This particular path has led to some of Gronkowski's most breathtaking sports feats. This led to three catches for 83 yards against the Texans in Week 1.

It was also devastating for Gronkowski's health.

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There was concussion in the AFC championship game against the Jaguars last season. There was the tear of the ACL Gronkowski in 2013 against the Browns. There was the blow that seemed catastrophic in 2015 – in Denver, in the snow – where Gronkowski was writhing with ground pain and held it a week apart. There was Thomas's fierce blow in 2016 which may have contributed to Gronkowski needing a return surgery several weeks later.

Gronkowski's presence may be as critical to the Patriots' offensive as it ever was. The depth of the team is tenuous. His boots are slammed. He is their most reliable receiver and the biggest threat to a team that needs both.

"He plays a big role in what we do," Brady told WEEI last week, "and we must all match his greatness – all of us – to be a big offense."

Gronkowski is one of the ways the Patriots can affect the backs of opposing defenses on a weekly basis. But given the dangers inherent in this path, this is the ultimate risk-reward game.

And this raises a question that is almost impossible to answer: how can you protect your most valuable asset when you have to put your most valuable asset at risk to succeed?

"That's football," said Gronkowski when asked if there had been some apprehension about that path. "It can happen anytime, anywhere – if you have this idea in mind, it will not help you during the race."

But Brady acknowledged that the safety of his teammates, including his future team-mate in the Hall of Fame, was in his mind on matchdays. And there's math going on – "Still, you're just calculating," said Brady – so the quarterback can make decisions that are in the best interest of the players with whom he shares a group.

"I mean, anybody can be hurt in any game," Brady said. "It's not like there's a safe zone, you know what I mean, you're trying to avoid what you can, and every time you're running fast, the security of the posts is deteriorating. avoid those you can, just try to measure their distance.

"Honestly, most of the pieces are like that, you always look and see the distances, you do not really want anyone to be hit, or throw him where he can not protect himself." Yeah. There are other plays like that … you just have to do your best to try to eliminate them. "

& # 39; YOU JUST GOTTA GO OERE THEY ARE NOT & # 39;
This game is exactly what?

A sewing route can take a different look from one game to another depending on the coverage or location on the field. But, in general, this involves an end-end or slot receiver (or a short-end slot receiver) that climbs vertically in order to find an open area between the defenders of the secondary.

In this case, or the "sewing", the target will find either a floating pass in his own way, or he draws a blanket to open space for a teammate. This summer, in our "Signature Plays" series, we highlighted Gronkowski's sewing itinerary in the Super Bowl LII, which allowed Chris Hogan to break free for a long touch.

Against defenses that use simple security – or post-security, as Brady calls them – it makes sense to start sewing routes, because it forces this deep defender to make a choice.

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Does safety take the seam or help on another deep route to the outside? If there are two seams on the opposite sides of the offensive formation, where is security established?

When an offense can bring two players into an area where this unique security is threatened, it is a victory. There can only be one.

"I think you have to make them defend everything," said Brady. "I do not think you can let go of them, I always think, if they're deep, you throw them in. If they're short, throw them deep." 39, inside, outside, outside, inside.

"If they play the pass, you have to turn it around … if they rush too much, you have to watch them, you just have to go where they are not."

Jaguar supporters love to run post-crash covers and, despite the end of last year's AFC championship match for Gronkowski, do not be surprised to see him again on Sunday.

The reason this road is so dangerous is that the ball is in the air long enough for security measures – even those that do not start to think – to create a stalemate and disguise targets hard to reach. in the middle of the field.

It's not that Gronkowski thinks of sewing routes in these terms.

"It's like any other road you just have to open," Gronkowski said. "You never know when you are going to take the ball, I mean, when a sewing route is called it's literally the same state of mind of any road. 39; open .No matter what .You have to make a game if the ball is thrown at you. "

"Go without fear"
He may approach each route in the same way, but Gronkowski readily admitted that his final destination, the deep center, is often a high-impact collision zone.

"Oh, yes, absolutely, you must be aware of that," he said. "You have to protect yourself when you can, grab the ball and go down.

"But at the same time you have to go without fear, you have to go with the mentality that you're going to take the ball, play a game." There are times when you try to keep going, there are times when you know that the trip will end and you are just trying to get off. "

Over time, Gronkowski thinks he has improved his understanding of the end of the trip. And he thinks that the changes he has made to his training program in recent years – he is a customer of the TB12 Sports Therapy Center – could make him more fit to bear big hits.

But that will not stop Patriots fans from keeping their collective breath every time Gronkowski advances to the middle to find a throw. Not only do they know his history of injuries, but there are times when they can see that safety after the race – a one-level safety – by making a bee line for Gronkowski while the ball is in the air.

These throws can induce even the old players.

On Monday night, last week, Rob Ninkovich agreed that the track could be considered a "danger zone" for Gronkowski. On Quick Slants the Podcast, our Tom E. Curran asked Jerod Mayo what he thought when he saw Gronkowski in the seam.

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"Please, do not touch it too low," said Mayo. "Whenever we see this, I just want Gronk to survive, it's so [effective] to play. [But] can we ask someone else to do it? I think I will come out of retirement and just run. . . It's scary. "

"You must choose your spots"
Sewing can be risky, Josh McDaniels explained in a conference call on Tuesday.

"Certainly, if there are players out there in and around this area," McDaniels said, "it makes those attempts more difficult to attempt, and there are ways to try – if you can try to create a bit of space, while you can try to do as well.

"The other day [against the Texans]we found a little space in the middle, partly because of what they did defensively. . . Last year, I believe in the Jacksonville match, in the AFC championship game, we had one and I believe it was [Barry] Church had a good break on the ball and hit Rob pretty well. "

But McDaniels' confidence in Brady to make the right decision, to keep his teammates out of trouble, gives McDaniels the leeway to play and not worry about whether his quarterback will force something .

"You know, you have to pick your spots, but I mostly think you just have to read them," said McDaniels. "If you call them a certain number of times in the game, then the quarterback – his responsibility is to try to put the ball in the right place." Certainly if these areas of the field are defended with a lot of body, then we love going elsewhere, and Tommy does a great job on this. "

"SOME THINGS WILL PASS"

There is of course another side of the sewing route. There are the safeties in charge of doing what we asked them to do: get a jump on the pass, separate the receiver from the football, put an end to the game.

If it is Gronkowski running along the track, these instructions become more difficult. There are about 50 books on some that might end up following Brady, and the reason why some of these collisions are as violent as they are because if they are not executed at full speed, the smaller loses. Or at least get up slowly when it's over.

"I learned early in this league," said Devin McCourty. "I remember that I hit [Michael Hoomanawanui] when he was on the Rams, and I tried to hit him upside down and he did not move. So I will probably go through the thighs and try to get a guy out there and try to see if you can take him off the football. "

"I mean, if you're going to play defense, you should not play defense," said Patrick Chung. "And no, you're just going to play the game." Your instincts will come out, just play the game. "We do not call." Football is a contact sport, so some things will hurt, but you have to go out there and do the game and see what happens after that. "

& # 39; We are all GONNA GET HIT & # 39;

In some ways, Brady is Gronkowski's best protection. Better than any padding. Better than any preventive training. Better than the wisdom to understand the trip is over.

The catcher can not do much if he sells to make a catch.

It's up to Brady to do the math before he lets the midfield slip. Can he get it before the arrival of security? And if it's going to be tight, can he put the ball on Gronkowski's back shoulder to keep Gronkowski's momentum away from the impending sternum blow (or worse)?

This is where we can say that the smartest and most accurate quarter of the game helps Gronkowski. For all the blows that he took, Brady probably saved him from many others by driving Gronkowski out of touch or being wise enough not to throw him out. at all.

"It's there that our shifts perform a remarkable job of reading, security and safety," said Jacob Hollister. "They usually take good care of us, so they're not going to put us in a bad position, you see a lot of throws, especially with Gronk. [Brady’s] protect him. "

"You do not want anyone to be touched," Brady said. "If they do, it's not like you could avoid being hit in football, but you do not want it where the guy has a hit, you know, or the receiver No chance to protect yourself. "

So, can you put your most precious good at risk when you have to endanger it to succeed?

Nope. Not completely. But you can try.

"Every player meets someone," Brady said. "It's with everyone … It's just this particular game … It's a threat to launch it, but I think I do not think much about it."

"Quarterbacks have a chance to get beat when you're in. Runners have a chance to get hit, we'll all get it, we have to do everything to protect each other."