Patriots' Gronkowski not changing style to avoid flags

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) Don't expect a few yellow flags to change the way New England's Rob Gronkowski plays football.

Despite compiling a team-high seven penalties this season, the Patriots' tight end balked at the suggestion of altering his game to accommodate the officials.

''I ain't doing anything wrong,'' Gronkowski said Thursday. ''I'm playing football. I ain't changing my style.''

Gronkowski has been flagged for offensive pass interference a league-leading four times through nine games, accounting for 39 yards, according to NFLPenalties.com. No other player has been penalized more than twice for the infraction.

''I'm not sure what it is,'' Gronkowski said. ''I'm just going to keep playing how I've been playing, how I go out in practice and try and transition it to the games.''

Gronkowski isn't the lone culprit in his locker room. New England leads the league with eight offensive pass interference penalties. The next closest teams are the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins, who each have four.

Nonetheless, the penalties haven't stopped the Patriots from scoring at will.

New England leads the league with 303 points, an average of 33.7 per game, and ranks second only to the Arizona Cardinals in total offense yardage per game (418.7).

As for Gronkowski, he has 49 receptions for 806 yards and eight touchdowns.

''We're playing well as an offense,'' Gronkowski said. ''It's not that frustrating when I get the penalty and someone else makes the play on third-and-long. That definitely helps out right there. Just got to keep playing the game.''