What About Holding Gronk Out of the 1st Half?

[sevengables_2207]

Excellent idea, sitting our best offensive weapon until we find ourselves down huge at the half, and THEN put him in and hope we can play catch up. Where do people get these ideas? :confused2:

How about this: we start him, go up by 4 touchdowns at the half, and then let him sit out and chill during most of the rest of the game? I can work with that...

I think the Patriots can excel with or without Gronk if they play up to their capabilities and do their job on offense, FWIW.

The absence of one player, even as talented as Gronk, will not derail the Patriots team. Collectively not doing their jobs and/or committing turnovers that lead to NYG points will.

 

[BlueThunder]

Depending on how his ankle feels...holding off getting a shot for his ankle until halftime prolongs it's effectiveness...I'm sure the training staff knows what they're doing. BB giving Gronk a limited practice yesterday was to see how his ankle responds. I'm sure BB & staff will evaluate where he is today and either rest him or let him participate limited again.

They are not going to jeopardize his abitlity to contribute in the SB as much as he can. He'll have the whole off season to recuperate.


Riding the bike on the sideline can also keep his ankle loose and heated.

Gronk's ankle will be the most watched extremity in the SB :rocker:

 

[Deus Irae]

I've heard this floated a couple of times. It's an extremely bad idea. Teams warm up prior to the game, have an extended pregame wait due to Super Bowl opening festivities, play the first half and then have the extended halftime festivities. Having Gronk warming up until about 20 minutes before the game and then sitting for all that time is begging for that ankle to tighten up.

 

[BlueThunder]

What if Gronk warms up during the long halftime?

Just sayin

I have NO IDEA how Gronk feels now after limited practice. BB is playing everything close to the vest. Giants are preparing as if Gronk is playing the whole game.

We won't know until gametime his status......

Even when BB releases his practice info...he's still not telling much of anything re: Gronk...

Just hope Vollmer is ready to go for depth and giving Solder a breather.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Depending on how his ankle feels...holding off getting a shot for his ankle until halftime prolongs it's effectiveness...I'm sure the training staff knows what they're doing. BB giving Gronk a limited practice yesterday was to see how his ankle responds. I'm sure BB & staff will evaluate where he is today and either rest him or let him participate limited again.

They are not going to jeopardize his abitlity to contribute in the SB as much as he can. He'll have the whole off season to recuperate.


Riding the bike on the sideline can also keep his ankle loose and heated.

Gronk's ankle will be the most watched extremity in the SB :rocker:

Yeah, that makes more sense, depending on how he feels he may go out there with it just taped and no shot, if need be they can shoot some toradol at halftime.

 

[tasmlab]

Do any sports medicine types know what kind of super drugs they can pump into the ankle so he can pretend like it isn't hurt for 60 minutes of play?

He should ask Curt Schilling to borrow the bloody sock! That seemed to work.

 

[oldskool138]

To quote Doctor Evil, how about no!

 

[Dutchmaster617]

Why is the media scaring you, even if Gronk sucks it doesn't matter on this stage. We have put up 40 with bigger players like Moss, Welker, Brady as non factors. In 08 we scored 40 on the SB runner up without Brady, last year we scored 40 on the SB runner up with no run game and pretty much Gronk alone (as a rookie, before he was the second coming of god), why can't we beat this years SB runner up (yes I am saying that's the NYG) without one man?

 

[satz]

Why !! ...People forget in the Saints SB run shokey could not run for crap.

all he did was run 5 yards and tuned around boxing the coverage guy with his size. brees hit him every time moving the chains.

 

[PatsBoy12]

Note one key thing from that practice report from the pool reporter:

When did Gronk first show up on the field at the practice yesterday?

AFTER the 31 minute halftime simulation.

It could be a coincidence.

I'm betting this is more coincidence than anything else. Maybe they did have the same thought as the OP and wanted to test it a bit, but I doubt it. I think the more likely scenario as to why they waited until after the first half-time simulation is probably because he was being seen by team doctors/trainers who wanted to make sure everything was good before they put him on the practice field.

 

[mb6592]

Depending on the severity, it's not as crazy as the rabid lemmings would have us believe.

 

[strngplyr]

I'm sure someone has mentioned this by now but:

If you start him in the first half, barring someone going after his ankle and succeeding, you will get at least a half out of him. There is also a chance that his ankle won't swell up and cool down on him, and you can potentially get a second half too.

If you start him after half time you're robbing yourself of potential. I can understanding wanting to have him 100% for clutch time, but having him to start could just as easily put you in a scenario where you wouldn't need him to be clutch.