How do you cover Gronk?

[BengalD]

Any one of those guys on the poll could take care of gronk, just has to be in the parking lot before the game with a fungo bat and a back hoe.

[Bengalstripes9]

(09-22-2015, 02:21 PM)J24 Wrote: Hit Brady hard and often.

(09-22-2015, 03:42 PM)jason Wrote: ^^^^  This  is your best bet to slow Gronk...  All of this "Hall and Iloka combo with a LB kinda watching him" isn't going to work.

You're right, the best bet is to get in Brady's face, and somehow prevent him from being able to look downfield and find his man. But you can't just all out blitz and leave him wide open. You need to attempt to cover him. Confuse Brady with different looks in the pass rush and in coverage, don't let him look downfield by getting in his face, and if he can look downfield, have good coverage.

(09-22-2015, 02:26 PM)bfine32 Wrote: The popular answer in nobody, but I went with George Iloka. He's 6'4" 225 with corner cover skills. Let George cover him only after whoever we have lined up at SAM knock the shit out of him every play within the first 5 yards.

If folks remember we were pretty much the team that started RGIII's downfall.

I like this response. It's easier said than done though. The guy is huge. If you have the power to knock him off stride within 5 yards that probably draws a flag for unneccessary roughness (even though it's kind of necessary). But if we could combine a good rush with disrupting Gronk at the line and sticking with him down field, at least we have a chance.

I'm curious about the RGIII downfall comment though. I remember we lit him up a couple years ago. I forget if we injured him or not. I'm guessing your implication was that we're good enough to shut Brady and Gronk down. I think we can, but maybe not in New England. I'm really hoping we get home-field advantage in this scenario so there's a level playing field.

[WhoDeyWho]

(09-22-2015, 02:21 PM)J24 Wrote: Hit Brady hard and often.

Yep.  "Elite" QBs tend to come back to earth when they get hit hard and often.  

[BengalintheCbus]

He seems to like the playboy/stripper types. You distract him by hiring some area strippers to stand near the sidelines. His head wont be in the game.

[BengalintheCbus]

but in all serious you stick like Iloka and a LB to go where he goes.

[Daddy-O]

Easy! Convert Tyler Eifert to defense for one game.

Seriously, nobody is a good match up for Gronk. LB's are too slow and DB's too small. The key is to collapse Brady's pocket around him before anyone can get open. With a healthy Geno it's possible, rush 4 and drop 7, then hope they get there.

[Utts]

I'd sign Kimo for the game, and tell him to give Gronk the "Carson Palmer Special"...

[TSwigZ]

Pray he gets the flu

[J24]

Besides hitting Brady I would say the key to covering Gronk would be using different guys on him and different coverages on him.  I would say a combination of Lamur, Kirkpatrick, Iloka, and Shawn Williams on him. Mix press and off coverages on him.

[wolfkaosaun]

Iloka over the top with possibly Hall underneath. You need two people against him.

No way do I trust any of our LBs against Gronk. Heck, I don't trust our LBs against many tight ends.

Gronk is someone who is going to get catches, but you have to limit his YAC.

[J24]

(09-23-2015, 02:31 AM)wolfkaosaun Wrote: Iloka over the top with possibly Hall underneath. You need two people against him.

No way do I trust any of our LBs against Gronk. Heck, I don't trust our LBs against many tight ends.

Gronk is someone who is going to get catches, but you have to limit his YAC.

Lamur has the size and the speed to cover Gronk so I wouldn't mind having him covering some. I would avoid Hall on him because of the size mismatch.

[wolfkaosaun]

(09-23-2015, 02:36 AM)J24 Wrote: Lamur has the size and the speed to cover Gronk so I wouldn't mind having him covering some. I would avoid Hall on him because of the size mismatch.

What tight end has Lamur shut down? Lamur isn't good at shutting down tight ends. Sure. He's fast and tall. But he also takes bad angles and has stiff hips. Gronk would eat him alive.

[J24]

(09-23-2015, 02:43 AM)wolfkaosaun Wrote: What tight end has Lamur shut down? Lamur isn't good at shutting down tight ends. Sure. He's fast and tall. But he also takes bad angles and has stiff hips. Gronk would eat him alive.

He did a pretty good job on Jimmy graham last season... Being Fast and and Tall is much needed when your playing someone fast and tall.  I am not saying we should do it every play but I wouldn't mind him occasionally covering him with lamur. Especially if he has help over the top with Iloka.

[Thundercloud]

Iloka's the man, with some underneath help. Probably Hall. But it would have to be a special plan, no doubt. I also like Bfine's idea of blasting him at the line of scrimmage on every snap, but he's a hard man to knock off course.

[StLucieBengal]

Big safety who can cover. With an LB under to jam and harass.  

Both our safeties could do it because they have cover skills . Illoka has the size that helps.

Problem is they have to be able to single cover on the outside, which in theory we could. And did vs the Pats last year. But we were gashed in the run. Healthy DL will help that. But Rey is always a liability in being gap sound.

[djs7685]

I think I'm more baffled by anything that there's a thread on the front page (that's actually getting responses) that's discussing how we're going to stop a guy that isn't even on our regular season schedule.

Can we care about more relevant things before penciling us into a meeting with a specific team in the playoffs when we're 2 weeks into the season? No? Alright, carry on.

[Bengalstripes9]

(09-23-2015, 11:47 AM)djs7685 Wrote: I think I'm more baffled by anything that there's a thread on the front page (that's actually getting responses) that's discussing how we're going to stop a guy that isn't even on our regular season schedule.

Can we care about more relevant things before penciling us into a meeting with a specific team in the playoffs when we're 2 weeks into the season? No? Alright, carry on.

Sorry man, I'm sick and got bored. The idea popped into my head and I went with it.. Should I have made a thread asking how in the world we're going to cover Kamar Aiken next week?

[Ricky Spanish]

Hit and stuff him at the line every play. Make it difficult for him to run his routes.

Edelman is the bigger threat IMHO

[djs7685]

(09-23-2015, 12:04 PM)Bengalstripes18 Wrote: Sorry man, I'm sick and got bored. The idea popped into my head and I went with it.. Should I have made a thread asking how in the world we're going to cover Kamar Aiken next week?

It would be infinitely more relevant, but do whatever you'd like.

Every message board thread is entirely meaningless, I completely understand that, it's just funny to me that people are actually engaging in a discussion about a specific player on a team that we aren't even going to play in 2015, and may not see in 2016 either.

[Bengalstripes9]

(09-23-2015, 12:13 PM)djs7685 Wrote: It would be infinitely more relevant, but do whatever you'd like.

Every message board thread is entirely meaningless, I completely understand that, it's just funny to me that people are actually engaging in a discussion about a specific player on a team that we aren't even going to play in 2015, and may not see in 2016 either.

I get what your saying. I was thinking of throwing in Kelce's name in there too (we play KC next week). But I figured Gronk is the most challenging option, especially considering the QB he has. I feel like we are more capable than most teams in shutting him down, with the pieces we have--but it's still a tall order. I guess the point was to get people thinking about the strengths and weaknesses of our current players, and how we could potentially scheme against problems like Gronk.