This was a long time coming.
A regular occurrence in New England that’s been conspicuously absent in Tampa Bay made its 2020 debut on Sunday.
Tom Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski for a touchdown.
Just like old times
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leading the Green Bay Packers, 21-10 in a high-profile Sunday afternoon matchup, Brady looked to his former favorite target on a third-and-6 in the red zone.
Gronkowski found himself in single coverage from the slot by Packers safety Adrian Amos. That was all Brady needed to see to fall back to one of his favorite strategies in New England.
Throw the ball up, and let Gronk go get it.
Brady lofted a precise back-shoulder pass in the left corner of the end zone that Gronkowski hauled in by the sideline, leveraging his 6-foot-6, 265-pound frame to ensure Amos didn’t have a chance at the ball.
Gronkowski stood up and immediately looked to his signature touchdown celebration, a massive spike that NFL fans haven’t seen since the 2018 season.
The Gronk spike made its Tampa Bay debut on Sunday. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
New role for Gronkowski in Tampa Bay
It was Gronkowski’s first touchdown catch in Tampa Bay after entering Sunday with just 12 catches through five games. It was the 80th of his career after hauling in 79 scores while winning three Super Bowls with the Patriots.
At 31 years old and two seasons removed from the league, Gronkowski doesn’t have the same role in Tampa as he did in New England. It’s nice to see he still knows how to celebrate.
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