This Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski Stat is Pretty Wild

Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski remains one of the best to ever play the position. Gronk made up half of one of the most feared TE/QB duos of all-time with Tom Brady in New England. Now, with the pair playing together with the Bucs, the magic is still alive even after all these years. 

I am sure that the two would have been successful without each other, but when they are together they are nearly unstoppable.

NFL fantasy analyst Scott Barrett points out how having Gronk on the field ultimately affects Brady’s success. 

Since Gronkowski entered the league and joined the New England Patriots in 2010, Brady’s passer rating is almost 15 points higher on average in games where Gronk plays. 

Brady averages a passer rating of 102.9 when Gronk is on the field over the last 11 years and a rating of 88.9 when he isn’t. For reference, this season Brady’s rating is 103.1 after missing Gronk for a few games. Baker Mayfield has a passer rating this year of 89.9 so you can get an idea as to the gap between the two numbers. 

It’s not merely Brady’s passer rating that suffers when Gronkowski isn’t playing, it’s TB12’s stats across the board. The GOAT's TDs per game average fall from 2.25 to 1.67, his interception rate goes up from 0.57 to 0.64 and his completion percentage falls five points. The most important figure, however, is Brady’s winning percentage. Since 2010, Brady has had a 0.781 win percentage with Gronk on the field and a 0.727 mark without him. 

Gronkowski had one of his best games as a Buccaneer last week with seven catches for 123 yards. He only has four touchdowns this season but has only played in six games this season. The Buccaneers have a better overall receiving core than the Patriots ever did so this reliance on Gronk is less noticeable this year. But, the Bucs are also dealing with several injuries on offense so look for Brady to continue to rely on his old friend. 

The Buccaneers head to Atlanta this weekend to face off against the Falcons. The Bucs are currently 11-point road favorites at WynnBET Sportsbook against the Falcons.

Tom Brady is also the current favorite to win the MVP and the Buccaneers are favored to win the Super Bowl again.