Tim Wright, Rob Gronkowski's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 5

As the New England Patriots offense goes, so too go their tight ends.

Despite a world of criticism surrounding his team, Tom Brady got tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Tim Wright going early Week 6 on Sunday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The quarterback targeted the duo on 16 of his 35 attempts, giving Gronkowski six catches for 100 yards and Wright five grabs for 85 yards. Both caught a touchdown, and both caught balls of 27 yards or more to give Brady the deep, aerial threats that he's struggled to find early in 2014.

Wright stood out noticeably with his play. He came into Sunday's game with just four catches for 35 yards, but more than doubled that in one game against the Bengals despite going without a target in two of the last three games.

Tight End	Catches	Yards	Avg	TD
Rob Gronkowski	6	100	16.7	1
Tim Wright	5	85	17.0	1

The Patriots have become the bullseye for criticism in recent days after their Monday Night Football debacle in Kansas City, with one of the chief questions being the inability to include both talented pass-catching tight ends in the fold as New England legend Teddy Bruschi told NEPatriotsDraft.com's Mike Loyko:

But against one of the NFL's best defenses in the Bengals, Bill Belichick and Co. wasted no time making the tight ends a focal point on Sunday night.

While nursing Gronkowski back to full health after last year's season-ending injury, the Patriots have still made him useful with 147 yards and three touchdowns through the first four games. When he wasn't making plays on Sunday, Brady was barely missing him on big-gainers and it showed that one of the league's most dynamic duos still has chemistry.

Hopes ran high for Wright after the Patriots traded Logan Mankins for him in the preseason—hopes that tapered off after his invisible start. But Sunday's performance showed that he can break out even with Gronkowski healthy and effective, which is all fantasy owners need to see to buy high on the backup.

Gronkowski remains one of the league's top tight ends and an obvious start whenever he plays, but Wright should be a trendy pick-up option after seeing how the Pats have fared with two talented tight ends in the past.

Both of New England's next opponents—Buffalo and the New York Jets—are in the top half of the league in pass defense. But then again, the Patriots had no trouble incorporating Gronkowski and Wright early on against a Bengals defense that is fourth-best in the same category.