The Patriots secured their eighth consecutive victory on Sunday, however, the joy of a win is soured a bit by the what transpired late in the fourth quarter. After getting mugged on a route down the field which ultimately resulted in a Tom Brady interception, Rob Gronkowski took out his frustration on Bills defensive back, TreDavious White. After White intercepted Brady and lay face down on the ground, the 6-foot-7 tight end lunged into his back, throwing him for a loop.

The hit resulted in a concussion for the rookie and to the surprise of many, Gronkowski was not ejected from the game. He will no doubt be facing a hefty fine from 345 Park Avenue but the Patriots should not waste anytime suspending Gronkowski against the Dolphins. Bill Belichick, after the game, was seen apologizing to Bills head coach, Sean McDermott calling the late hit a “b*llsh*t play”. Anyone who has ever followed the Patriots for any period of time knows Belichick does not take kindly to things that reflect poorly on the Patriots and the game of football. This is both to an extreme degree.

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This is not an indictment of the player. Gronkowski has never exhibited a patter of dirty play ever in his career. In fact, he has been on the receiving end of a number of borderline dirty plays. However, reflective of his character or not, he needs to be suspended for Monday Night Football against the Dolphins.

“That’s a dirty play, man,” said Bills safety Micah Hyde “That’s not cool. It’s amazing to me that you don’t get ejected for something like that. It’s crazy. He obviously saw him on the ground. It’s like a wrestling move. I don’t know — elbow, shoulder — I don’t know what it was. I saw on the replay it was just a dirty play, man.”

To Gronkowski’s credit, he did apologize after the game, although he remained frustrated about the events leading up to the play. Still, the bad decision overshadowed his dominant performance on the field.

“I don’t believe in shots like that,” Gronkowski said. “I’m not in the business of that. It was a lot of frustration. At that moment, it happened naturally through emotions and frustration.”

Frustration or not, Gronkowski needs to sit. Patriots fans know Gronkowski is not a dirty player, however, he committed a dirty play. By the time the Patriots return to Foxboro, Gronkowski should already be suspended by the team. It will be a harsh but necessary lesson for the superstar tight end.

– Ian Glendon is the Editor-In-Chief of Full Press Coverage and the AFC East Division Editor. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on and Facebook.

 

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