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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady says tight end Rob Gronkowski is so physically imposing that opposing defensive backs are afraid to cover him.

“Imagine trying to cover that,” Brady said. “He just gets great body position, and I think that’s a big part of it because he’s such a big guy, it’s hard to go through him. He’s 6-7, 260 pounds, so if he can get himself in the right position and get the defender where he wants him in the right place in the route, the defender can’t do anything about it. And I think they know that, too, so then they panic, and then when they panic, it’s even more of an advantage to the offense. Sometimes when you get a bigger receiver on the perimeter and a smaller [defensive back] is matched up on him, the mindset of the DB might even change because they think, ‘Oh my God, this guy is so much bigger and taller and stronger and what am I going to do?’ And then they’re already beat sometimes before the ball is snapped.”

Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis echoed that assessment.

“I wouldn’t blame them for panicking,” Revis said. “The guy is 6-foot-7, he can run, he’s explosive. I mean, you put him in that category of Tony Gonzalez, they just have big bodies, hard to get around them, sometimes if you might break you might not know where the ball is going to be at, his wingspan, he will stick his hand in the air. There’s so many variables, it’s just hard to cover a big receiver/tight end like that.”

During the Patriots’ current five-game winning streak, Gronkowski has 36 catches for 516 yards and five touchdowns. With Gronkowski playing like he is and the Patriots playing like they are, it’s not surprising that they’re starting to sound a little cocky in New England.