Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski hurt his ribs in Week Three and only played six snaps between that injury and the start of Monday night’s game against the Giants, so seeing him make it through the entire 30-10 win was a big positive for the Bucs.
Equally positive was the role Gronkowski played in the offense. He caught six passes for 71 yards, including a 35-yard third down pickup in the second quarter that set up a Ronald Jones touchdown. That score broke a 10-10 tie and sent the Bucs on their way to their seventh win of the season.
“It was just good to be back out there with the guys,” Gronkowski said. “Just been working hard the last couple of weeks to get back, get in the grind and get back out on the field and play some games. It felt really good. Felt good to make some plays and get some first downs to help out the team. I think it went pretty solid. Can definitely improve, can definitely get a little bit better conditioned. Not running as much as I would if I was playing for the last couple of weeks. That was a good game to get under my belt and get better every week.”
A healthy Gronkowski helps the Bucs as a pass catcher and as a blocker, so they’ll be hoping that Monday night is a sign of things to come rather than a brief respite from the injuries that have kept him sidelined for so much of the season.