Tom Brady says a tip from Peyton Manning helped him turn Rob Gronkowski into the most dominant tight end in the NFL

During an offseason workout, Brady and Manning were discussing football, when Manning explained a particular play-action pass protection.
Brady took the protection back to offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien and quickly used it to help turn Gronkowski into the most fearsome pass-catcher in the NFL.
"Rob Gronkowski has probably 50% of his offensive production on that play," Brady said.
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Tom Brady has played with a number of brilliant teammates over the course of his historic career with the New England Patriots.

But no Patriots pass-catcher was as dominant at his position than tight end Rob Gronkowski, whose presence helped change the landscape of the NFL, leading the way for the likes of Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, and other tight ends to become significant parts of their respective teams' passing attacks.

Brady revealed as a part of the NFL Network's "NFL 100" show, Gronkowski's dominance was helped along by a conversation the Patriots quarterback had with fellow future Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning.

Brady said that during an offseason workout with Manning, his rival quarterback described a particular scheme that the Patriots would go on to use to great effect with Gronkowski.

"They had a protection called the 'counter-hot' protection... And they'd run a play-action, and they would throw a couple combinations off of it," Brady said. "After this meeting, I came back, and Bill O'Brien was [Patriots offensive] coordinator, and I said, 'Billy, we gotta put this protection in.'"

"I swear to god, off of that action we do a lot of things," Brady said. "We absolutely call that protection at least one or two times a game against [Manning's Colts], and Rob Gronkowski has probably 50% of his offensive production on that play."

As the highlights embedded in the conversation show, the key to the play working is the pulling lineman helping to sell the play-action fake. With defenders biting on the run, Gronk is able to get to the second level and make plays.

"To use that play against him, as well has to have Rob become a dominant player in the league off of that particular play is thanks to Peyton Manning," Brady said.

Brady will go down as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, but it's clear that even he would admit that his greatness came with the help of many that came before him.

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