PATRIOTS TIGHT END ROB GRONKOWSKI

PRESS CONFERENCE
November 23, 2018

Q: How was your Thanksgiving?

RG: It was good. Yeah, it was good.

Q: Did you feast?

RG: I feasted for sure. I feasted a lot.

Q: Ready to get back out there against the Jets?

RG: Yeah, definitely ready to get back there. I'm good to go and excited to be back out there with the team, excited to get back out there on Sundays and play some ball.

Q: What was it that got you over the hump to be ready to go?

RG: Just working hard, working with all the people around me. I had a lot of good people to work hard with, do exercises, get everything back right and just keep on grinding every day so I can get back out there with my teammates, and that's what it will be on Sunday.

Q: What do you think your value is in the red zone on this team?

RG: It's basically whatever the coaches ask me do. I'm trying to do as much as possible – if it's a run play, if it's a pass play, and if the ball goes my way, I've got to go out and got to go make a play. That's what we've got to do. In the red zone, we've got to compete. I've got to compete and we've got to make plays.

Q: How much better do you feel after almost four weeks off now?

RG: Yeah, I feel good. I'm ready to go. Sunday afternoon in New York, it's going to be a hostile environment. It always is. They're a good team. They play hard. I mean, I can't recall a game where I would say they haven't played hard in my nine years playing them. So it'll be a good one. It'll be a tough one, but it'll be a good one again.

Q: Is this the best you've felt since Week 1?

RG: I mean, I feel good. I'm ready to play. That's all. I'm excited to be back out there come Sunday and just been working hard to get back out there and ready to roll.

Q: Did you see the New York Daily News cover with you on it?

RG: No. Heard there was some like crazy weekend though at my house. It gets crazy.

Q: It just seemed like the column was taking a shot at you and I didn't know if things like that motivated you or if you had any other thoughts about that.

RG: No, it is what it is. We've got a big game Sunday, that's all that matters. I've got to get ready, got to get prepared and just focus on Sunday.

Q: One of the injuries you were listed with on the injury report was your back, which given your history, seems noteworthy. How does your back feel and are you worried about that?

RG: I'm not worried at all. Just feel good and I'm excited for the game Sunday.

Q: Were those more back spasms than anything else? A back injury that goes away on its own?

RG: I don't even know what it was. I just had to fix it.

Q: Good treatment?

RG: Yeah.

Q: Do you ever concern yourself with statistics other than wins?

RG: No, not really. The wins are the biggest part. It's the culture around here, just do the best you can, do what you've got to do to help the team. If the statistics come with it, then they come with it, but whatever we've got to do as a unit, as a whole, to go out there and get the win.

Q: What do you remember from your matchup with Jamal Adams last year?

RG: He's a good player. He plays hard. He doesn't really take off plays in the pass game or run game. He's young. He's got the energy. He's got the stamina. He can hit. He can cover, so he's a good overall player and just got to be ready – ready for the whole defense.

Q: We didn't see Tom Brady on the practice field today. What's the confidence level in Brian Hoyer if he has to start on Sunday?

RG: It's high. We've got a lot of good players at every position but with Hoyer in there, he does a great job every single week. Whenever I've been in there with him, preseason eight years ago or whatever, nine years ago when was here, he's always ready. That's all.

Q: Did you catch any passes from Tom Brady today?

RG: Yeah. Didn't tell you where though. Could have been on the field, could have been in the locker room.

Q: Was it on the field?

RG: I don't know.

Q: You forgot already?

RG: That was a trick question by asking me that. Yeah, I forgot.

Q: Is there ever a concern when Tom Brady isn't at practice?

RG: No, just got to keep doing what we've got to do. You've got to focus on doing your job and when there's not a player like that in – because he runs the offense and everything – you've just got to be more alert and more aware and just got to make sure you're on top of your job and your assignment and everything. Because no lie, he knows the playbook inside and out, basically every position, so if he's not in there, you've just got to make sure you know what you're doing, your knowledge and do your job.

Q: Besides the physical ailments, do you at all feel mentally refreshed? You seem to be pretty excited here with the game coming up on Sunday.

RG: Yes. I just feel overall ready. I'm excited to be back with the team, excited to go back out there with the guys and go to battle.