FOXBORO -- Since last Friday, all of the talk surrounding the Patriots hasn't been about the playoffs, it's been about an ESPN story, which portrayed a power struggle in New England between Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
All three have addressed the story in one form or another, including releasing a joint statement last Friday, which said the three are united.
In the past, potential distractions have brought the team closer together, and speaking Tuesday, Rob Gronkowski said it could happen again.
"The feeling around here, the intensity is high, the preparation is high just like any other time. It's just like any other week," Gronkowski said. "I feel like if anything, it's just going to bring us closer and it's going to bond us together. The feel is no different than any other week going on right now. It's good. We just had a good practice week. Everything's feeling good and just excited for the big game, but first off we've got a big week ahead of us to prepare."
Added Gronkowski: "I mean, throughout my years here I've seen a lot of negative, a lot of positive. The reputation that Coach [Bill Belichick] tries to get us to have is just ignore the noise. Ignore the noise from the outside and I feel like that's what myself, a lot of other players have been doing. You've just got to keep ignoring the noise and just keep our focus on what we've been doing all year and that's preparing hard, studying our opponent, getting ready mentally and physically for the big game. No matter what's going on on the outside, as a team, as an organization we've just got to keep grinding, and keep going and keep doing our job."
Last week, Gronkowski was named a first-team All-Pro, which means he will make $10.75 million this season, the most he could have with his tiered, incentive-based contract.
"It's definitely an honor, for sure," he said. "I mean, a lot of hard work, dedication, patience, the whole process of coming back. Definitely, I would say, patience is the virtue there. You just can't come back right away and think you're going to be out full speed, so just a lot of hard work, dedication. It's definitely an honor, humbly an honor, but it means nothing now to tell you the truth. It's the playoffs now. It's one and done if you lose, so just got to keep on preparing and looking forward, forward now and not look in the past."
