Looks like a bad call, those happen more in the last 2 minutes, maybe they need to rely on the cameras more. This should be remedied, I’m definitely not for the Patriots but it is always more important to see a fairly called game.
The refs need to be consistent and perhaps they are being consistent in not calling this in the last 2 minutes as they let a lot of things go.
Running at 16 miles per hour into the end zone, Gronk begins to decelerate nearly a full second before the ball arrives. Kuechly makes contact with Gronk a third of a second later, meaning contact happened 2/3 of a second before the ball was intercepted.
Sport Science projects that untouched, Gronk would have been able to decelerate from 16 mph to 0 mph in roughly a half-second. That would have given the Patriots tight end time to use his 8-foot-3 reach to make a play on the ball. Of course, he still would have had safety Robert Lester, who ultimately intercepted the ball, to contend with.
I note that the NFL supported the refs ruling...by saying the contact from Kueley was at the same time as when the ball arrived - which just isnt a plausible description.