One of the big storyline’s surrounding Super Bowl XLVI has been how the Giants plan to contain the Patriots’ dynamic tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The pair combined for 169 catches for 2,237 yards and 24 touchdowns. They’re a nightmare match-up for the defense, especially with one of the best slot receivers in the game - Wes Welker - lining up just a few yards to the left or right of Gronkowski or Hernandez.
“Basically, it starts with (Gronkowski) and who (the defense) is going to double-team,” Hernandez said this week from the Super Bowl.
“You can only double-team two people. If you are going to double Gronkowski and Welker, then it leaves me open. If you’re going to double me and Gronkowski, then it leaves Welker one-on-one, so there are a lot of problems.”
It’s problem Giants coach Tom Coughlin is trying to figure out a solution too this week, even with Gronkowski nursing a bum ankle.
It’s the same problems the Lions hope to cause future opponents with their emerging tight end combo of 
“The NFL has always been a match-up league, but more now,” said Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. “Tight ends gain such a favorable match-up if you’ve got one good enough to exploit that.
“They usually have a linebacker covering them, at worst a safety, and if you have a guy that’s skilled enough, like I think we do, and I know a number of these teams that are good on offense do, the quarterback isn’t going to shy away from trying to exploit that.”
It’s one of the big reasons why six tight ends ranked in the top 15 in the league in catches, including Gronkowski (90), Pettigrew (83) and Hernandez (79).
“It’s just become a bigger part of people’s offense and that’s the match-up that you can kind of count on as a good match-up for you offensively,” Linehan said.
Pettigrew and Scheffler combined for 109 catches for 1,124 yards and 11 touchdowns to supplement the monster season receiver
“If you look at all the really explosive and effective offenses, they’ve got one, and usually two, tight ends that they use,” said Linehan. “We utilize them in a number of ways. They have to wear three hats. They have to run block, pass protect, and in our system, they have to be very effective in the passing game.”
The tight end position is a primary target for the Lions, as it is with the Patriots and the Packers and the other great offenses around the league.
Pettigrew broke his own team record this season with 83 receptions and 777 yards. Pettigrew (6-5, 265) is a big target, like Gronkowski (6-6, 265), who’s too athletic for a linebacker to cover him and too big for a safety.
Scheffler (6-5, 250) is more the speedster and deep-threat for the Lions, much like Hernandez (6-2, 245) is for the Patriots. Scheffler had six touchdowns and was lethal down the seam and in the red zone for the Lions.
“I’ve always been a proponent of having two tight ends on the field a significant amount of the plays,” Linehan said. “It’s just hard for teams to figure out what you’re doing with them in there. Are you putting them in there to run? Are you putting them in there to throw? They have to figure that out. “
