As part of our weekly series, Get More Sports recently caught up with former NFL player Chris Gronkowski. Every week during the 2018 season, we’ll produce an exclusive Q&A interview with Chris, whose experience, familiarity and connections within the league, its coaches and its players allow him to provide unparalleled insight and analysis.
The information provided in this series can be incredibly valuable to any sports bettor, which is why this is must-read material every week.
In this week’s edition (NFL Preseason Week 3), Chris discusses the Patriots, Ryan Fitzpatck, preseason betting and more. You can read more editions of Chris Gronkowski’s weekly Q&A here.
Don’t Miss the Gronkcast episode 3: An exclusive look inside the NFL Preseason and what it’s like to be starting as a rookie:
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Related: Glenn Gronkowski’s Week 3 Q&A
GMS: What did you think about Bill Belichick playing his starters, including Tom Brady, an entire half in Week 2?
Gronk: There is no way to get into game shape without getting game reps. Coaches want to make sure their players are ready, and it is pretty standard to play the starters for the first half in the second preseason game. Look for the starters on most teams to play a majority of the game in the third preseason game as well.
GMS: Did you think there was any additional motivation being that the opponent was Philadelphia?
Gronk: No chance. A coach would be foolish to let his emotions over a Super Bowl loss effect the playing time in a preseason game, especially a coach that has five Super Bowl rings already. The preseason isn’t about winning, it’s about making sure you are ready to play and figuring out which players will help you win. I wouldn’t be surprised if Brady was asking to continue playing into the second half just because he is a competitor and loves the game.
GMS: Ahead of that Super Bowl rematch on Thursday, reports suggested that the Pats’ starters were going to play a series or two, at most. Will coaches just flat out lie about gameplans such as preseason playing time?
Gronk: From my experience, in the preseason if a coach see what he wants to see out of the starters then the starters will play a series or two and get off the field. If the starters come out flat and aren’t getting the job done, the coaches may leave them on the field longer until they see what they wanted to see. I wouldn’t call this lying or any kind of trickery, the preseason doesn’t count for anything so there is no point of trying to trick your opponent by lying about your starters playing time.
Related: Listen to Episode 2 of the Gronkcast
GMS: Did you ever play a preseason game where the opponent was a team you were going to play during the regular season? If so, how did the coaching staff approach that preseason game … conservatively? (Seahawks at Vikings this week. Game total opened 41.5 bet down to 39.5)
Gronk: I can’t recall if we ever played a preseason game against a team that we were going to play in the regular season but either way the playbook in the preseason is going to be very minimal. Teams do not want to show their big plays or even their big players off. The playbook gets cut down to your very basic plays, protections and routes. This is standard protocol for the preseason.
GMS: Is Lamar Jackson the next Robert Griffin III?
Gronk: Lamar Jackson has a very similar skill set as RGIII entering the league, but I think his career path is going to be much different. RGIII came in and was thrown into the fire and had to use his legs to win games. Lamar Jackson is coming in behind a pro-style quarterback that he will have a chance to learn from and mature and really get to learn the NFL playbook before stepping in as a starting quarterback. While sitting behind Joe Flacco, Lamar Jackson is going to blossom into a pro-style quarterback that also has an insane running back skill set that he can also fall back on.
GMS: How much of a downgrade is Ryan Fitzpatrick from Jameis Winston, if any?
Gronk: Ryan Fitzpatrick has been a crafty vet for a long time in the NFL. He has proven to be skilled enough to start for multiple NFL teams and always starts the season off strong. But there is a reason why Ryan Fitzpatrick was the backup behind Jameis Winston and this is definitely a downgrade for the Bucs. Jameis Winston has been a vocal leader throughout his NFL and college career and really gets the team to rally behind him. I think this will be the biggest difference you see between Winston and Fitzpatrick.
GMS: What’s your favorite play in Week 3 of the preseason?
Gronk: Alright, I am going to take my first pick of the preseason and it’s about to be electric. I am taking the Browns at home +2 and here is why. The Browns have a point to prove and the best team to prove it against would be the defending Super Bowl champs. Carson Wentz will not be playing and Nick Foles is coming off of a weak performance and a shoulder strain from last week’s game against the Patriots. The Browns will most likely play their starters longer than the Eagles will, and both Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield are going to bring it as they are both fighting over that starting spot. I’m feeling good about my first (and probably last) preseason pick.
The Gronkcast Episodes:
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 9: Inside The NFL: Featuring Rob Gronkowski’s bodyguard Bobby Goons
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 8: Inside The NFL: Inside A Players Life in the NFL
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 7: Inside The NFL: An Interview with WWE superstar Mojo Rawley
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 6: Inside The NFL: NFL Week 2, BulletProof Picks, NFL Head Coaches
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 5: Inside The NFL: A Day In The Life of An NFL Player, NFL Week 1
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 4: Inside The NFL: NFL Betting Strategies, The Best NFL Prop Bets
Link: The GronkCast: Episode 3: Inside The NFL: What It’s Like To Be A Rookie In The NFL
