Remember the last time the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots played each other? It was only two weeks ago, when Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was penalized and suspended for a late hit on Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White in the fourth quarter of New England's 10th win.
Time heals all wounds, but given it's only been 17 days between AFC East tilts, does White still hold a grudge against Gronk?
"As I've had time to think about it, I knew he wasn't that type of player," White told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday, per ESPN. "We just honed in and moved on from it. But I get the film Sunday, and the best way that I can handle that situation and just try to go in there and just get a big old 'W' in their stadium and try to help our playoff chances.
"So yeah, I'm not a guy who's going to try to do a cheap shot after the whistle. Nothing. I'm gonna play the game the way it's supposed to be played. Respect the game. Just like I said, going in there and winning would be the best revenge."
Gronk was controversially banned for just one game for his after-the-play finishing move on Buffalo's rookie corner. A week off did Gronk good, as the tight end returned to play this past week in style, rollicking for 168 yards in New England's win over Pittsburgh.
White's comments are a departure from his previous statements on Gronk. Following the tight end's locker-room apology, White called Gronkowski's suspension a "joke."
"I'm laying there he snuck me, my back turned. He could have broken my neck," White explained two weeks ago. "I got a son to raise. People don't think about that when they react, but that's here or there. It is what it is."
Considering the stakes, retaliation would not be worth it, from either side of the field. Both New England and Buffalo are looking to improve their playoff standing. The Patriots can clinch a first-round bye and even home-field advantage with a win over the Bills in Foxborough and with losses from the Steelers and Jaguars. The 8-6 Bills, meanwhile, need to keep up with the rest of the wild-card hopefuls (Tennessee, Baltimore, Los Angeles).
For now, the hatchet is buried somewhere between the Buffalo and Boston metropolitan areas. But all of that changes when the game kicks off Sunday, and Gronk goes out for a pass on the sideline or up the middle of the field.
