Roethlisberger throws 6 TDs as Steelers top Colts

It’s nice to have Rob Gronkowski back.
No matter your feelings on Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, owner Robert Kraft or their team in general, it’s hard for even the most passionate Patriots haters to have much animosity for the Gronk.
The NFL’s personification of an exuberant golden retriever, Gronkowski’s sheer joy at just being Gronk, whether it’s playing football, hanging out with his friends, dancing in public or helping sick kids makes him one of the most fun players in the NFL.
For much of the 2012 and 2013 seasons, the majority of that fun was all off the field. After grabbing 90 catches for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2011, Gronk’s seemingly limitless ability was grounded by an array of injuries that held him to 18 regular season games in two years.
As entertaining as it was to see Gronk post a photo of himself wearing a t-shirt showing his teammate wearing a t-shirt of him, shaving his head in solidarity with kids with cancer, partying with Johnny Manziel and dancing, doing so much dancing, it was starting to look like his propensity for injury might keep him from ever matching the dominance of his sophomore NFL season.

It’s not looking that way presently.
Gronkowski put together his most dominant single-game performance since the Patriots’ AFC Divisional win over the Broncos in January 2012 during the team’s 51-23 victory over the Bears on Sunday. The tight end caught every one of the nine passes Tom Brady threw in his direction, gaining 149 yards and crossing the goal line for three touchdowns.
As For The Win‘s Chris Chase notes, Tom Brady has snapped back into form during the month of October, but much of that has certainly been helped by Gronkowski finally again looking like the Pro Bowl tight end the team is paying him to be.
In the past four games, Brady has targeted Gronkowski at least nine times in each contest, with Gronk now averaging 102 yards per game in October. If he can stay healthy, the Patriots’ offense that was looking moribund one quarter of the way through the season might just help fuel New England to another AFC title matchup versus the Broncos.
That’s a big if, as Gronk’s early exit Sunday stoked fears of yet another injury concern. He left the field in the third quarter Sunday following his third touchdown, a 46-yard-play in which he beat the Bears’ Chris Conte on a route and then stiff armed Chicago’s other safety Ryan Mundy on the ensuing run.
With the lead safely in hand, there was no need to the Patriots to rush Gronkowski back for the fourth quarter. The tight end assured reporters after the game that he was only a little dehydrated, doing it as only he could.

It’s fun to have Gronk back at full speed again.