5 Telling facts about the Patriots after 5 games

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2. Gronk is picking up almost 19 yards every time he catches the ball

Among qualified players, Gronk boasts the fourth-best yards per reception average in the NFL right now. Only Torrey Smith (23.1), James Jones (20.2) and Malcom Floyd (19.4) are averaging more receiving yards every time they catch the ball.

Of course, Gronkowski is a very different breed of player than those speedsters. Weighing-in at 265 pounds, Gronk could easily switch-out the No. 87 for a No. 57 jersey and play linebacker. It’s quite telling that deep-threat wideouts like Travis Benjamin and Allen Robinson have fewer yards per catch than Gronk. The next-closest tight end in this statistical category is Greg Olsen, who ranks 14 slots below Gronkowski with 15.6 yards per catch.

When he caught that pass down the middle and turned it into a touchdown on Sunday night, Gronkowski became the first tight end to reach the 60-touchdown mark in just 70 games. Gronk became only the fifth tight end to reach that milestone, joining some select company: Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, Shannon Sharpe and Jerry Smith.

Without a doubt, Gronk has his sights set on Gonzalez’s 111-touchdown record.

Next: 1. Pats are owning third downs, getting first downs in general