Patriots' Offensive Versatility Puts Rob Gronkowski in Line for Historic Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers did an awful job defending Rob Gronkowski, but this will be a common theme for opponents all year long.

Gronk was the star of the first NFL game of the year, finishing with five catches for 94 yards and three touchdowns. His performance all over the field helped the New England Patriots come through with a 28-21 victory that wasn't as close as the final score would indicate.

Not only did the Pro Bowl tight end help out a lot of fantasy teams around the country, but it sent a message to the rest of the NFL that slowing Gronkowski down will not be easy. This might have been common knowledge for most fans, but it has only gotten tougher.

Pittsburgh came into the week with a plan to be more physical against the 6'6", 265-pound superstar.

"You just have to jam him up a little bit, mess with his timing," Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier told reporters, via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "If you mess up their timing, they are really time-oriented. You have to mess up their timing and get in his face with pressure, then I feel we can slow him down a little bit."

This plan made sense on paper, but the reality is this was easier said than done. In many cases the Steelers could barely get a hand on him before making a huge play in one way or another. While Gronkowski used his physical attributes to dominate on the field, a lot of credit has to go to head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated broke down the type of defense up against the player during the game:

It wasn't just defensive ineptitude that caused the wide-open looks. The coaching staff moved him around the offense, creating confusion and keeping the Steelers off guard all night. No matter who was on the other side of the ball, it would have been difficult to stick with the tight end.

On the Patriots' first touchdown of the game, Gronkowski was wide open as the defense seemingly forgot to guard him:

How is it possible that a two-time All-Pro simply goes unnoticed on the field? The problem was no one followed him when he shifted to the outside. Cornerback Antwon Blake stayed inside to defend Julian Edelman—a serious threat in his own right—and safety Robert Golden simply couldn't get over in time before a hurried snap.

Later in the game, Gronkowski was defended by rookie Bud Dupree, but he didn't do much better than the invisible man from earlier. The tight end lined up in the slot and basically ran right past the linebacker for a 52-yard gain:

Despite the Steelers' poor defensive work on these two plays, the truth is few linebackers, cornerbacks or safeties can guard Gronkowski one-on-one. Getting him in space away from the line not only confuses defenses but also allows him to get the most of his abilities.

Of course, this was just a small portion of the big man's outstanding night. Pittsburgh lost him near the goal line on a play-action fake that led to a touchdown:

"

"Brady to Gronk" on repeat  TD, @Patriots. #PITvsNE http://t.co/78nASpjSRB

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) September 11, 2015"

This disguised run came with Brandon Bolden in the backfield, a running back who finished with just one rushing yard on five carries. When a better goal-line threat like LeGarrette Blount is in the game after returning from suspension, defenses will have to give even more respect to the potential for a run.

The Patriots were then able to put a nail in the coffin with a fade to Gronkowski in the fourth quarter: 

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Watch it again: Gronk scores, Gronk spikes. http://t.co/ZG9PjddPtv #PITvsNE

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 11, 2015"

The success came from a shift at the line of scrimmage, creating a huge mismatch against Terence Garvin. The inside linebacker was forced to follow the tight end to the outside, and the result was an easy touchdown.

Of course, the defense also had to factor in a previous score to Scott Chandler from the same formation, giving it even more to think about before attempting to make a play. Even better pre-snap planning wouldn't have helped much against this attack.

There was a lot of action over 60 minutes of game time, but these four plays to Gronkowski legitimately represented the difference in the Patriots' win. Each of them highlighted the physical skills (wide catching radius, strength to break tackles) that have allowed him to total 54 touchdowns in the previous five seasons. With Tom Brady throwing the ball to a player of this skill set, there is more than enough to produce incredible numbers all year long.

Of course, the Patriots don't stop there. They don't settle for simple inside routes and jump balls in the end zone like many other teams around the league. Instead, the coaching staff works to move him around the field and make it as easy as possible for the offense.

Those four big plays show how an elite tight end can be even better. A great season now has a chance to be historic.

Opposing defenses won't have many chances to double-team Gronkowski this year because New England knows how to beat you in other ways. Even if they do slow him early on, the staff will still find ways to get him the ball and take advantage of his ability.

While Gronk's pace of 48 touchdowns for the season is not sustainable, don't be surprised if he finishes 2015 with close to 20 scores. For those of you who took the superstar in your fantasy draft, enjoy what should be a fun year.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for more year-round sports analysis.