A defenses job is to stop the Patriots, not Gronk.
In the seasons first three games, the intense focus on Gronk I believe affected the Patriots offense dramatically particularly when they totaled 30 points against JAX/DET. He’s been their ‘go-to’ and first look in that area on the field, so he’s seen a ridiculous amount of attention.
But the last 3 games have seen the Pats shift and, this is important, effectively spread the wealth. And we’ve seen them average 40 PPG during this stretch. To your point, the Pats have recognized that defenses are focusing on taking Gronk away, so it feels like he’s not the primary loom down there now.
If defenses are content with the Pats scoring 40, then this focus on Gronk will continue. But I’m betting opposing DC’s will recognize that the Pats have now successfully transitioned away from Gronk in the RZ, and will be forced to change their strategy as well. And my thinking is that, this will open Gronk up again in the very near future.