Gronk likely out for rest of playoffs.

[Observer]

Assuming you intended sarcasm, great post .

For everyone else, buck up for god's sake! The Patriots 2012 have a more solid run game, a better defense, better receiver group behind Gronk (thanks to BL). 2012 is not 2011. The Patriots can win any game if they play well (need better STs than today). If they don't play well they will lose. They are in the AFCCG and that is a great thing. They can still very much do this without Gronk and they will need to because he is gone. Grow some stones and have a little faith....

I was being facetious, but with the joke division that we are in, it might actually work!

 

[Luke Skywelker]

With you on the fact that it was due to reinjure or he wouldn't have been at full speed in the post season - likely better off game planning without him at this point rather than him being ready to implode at a point where we wouldn't have had the time to adjust.

The re-injury was mystifying. The slo-mo replay showed nothing more than him rolling onto it in no awkward fashion whatsoever in what did not look like more than a split second where he had his full body weight on it. It could NOT have been fully healed.

While on it, I know that an ankle injury takes awhile, but hard time understanding how Hernandez can't be 100% on an injury he had in the first couple weeks of the season when he bounced back suprisingly quick.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

It sucks but this year is much different from last year. Offense is alot less reliant on him because they've been without him for the last 2 months, and they've been doing just fine.

If Welker, Hernandez, or Lloyd were to go down, then we'd be in really big trouble. Especially one of the first 2.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

"It is what it is."

We do still have Branch, Hernandez, Lloyd and Welker plus Ridley and Vereen catching balls pretty effectively out of the backfield. OK, Branch might be past his prime, but most NFL teams would kill for four of the five.

Somehow, I think that Tom Brady will figure out how to "make do."

 

[PittPatriot]

LOL....somebody watched the falcons today

My first time actually watching them live…was impressed by the overall performance by Matt Ryan and of course Gonzalez.
My earlier comment was marveling at the durability of Gonzalez. He has been so great for so long.

 

[aluminum seats]

I thought a healed broken bone was stronger than it was before. If he wasn't healed, maybe shouldn't have been playing?

 

[Fencer]

I know hes a great blocking TE but I though Hoomanawanui did a good job Blocking but Gronk will be greatly missed

And Hoom seems to be limping too. I hope that bit of reporting turns out to have been overblown.

 

[Fencer]

It could NOT have been fully healed.

Indeed not.

 

[DaBruinz]

Why do you think gronk slid to the second round? He has always been injury prone.

This is 100% false. Gronk slid to the 2nd round because of a BACK Injury that kept him from playing his Junior year before he declared for the draft. Prior to that, he hadn't had any issues..

I really wish people would have their facts before making such BS statements.

 

[DaBruinz]

When you play the game thinking the only thing that can stop you is cryptonite, you get injured on PAT duty and then re-injure it falling. Ya get my point now sparky?

Let's be real. He didn't just "fall" on it. He leaped into the air and had nearly his entire weight land on it. We don't know WHAT broke in it. We don't know if it was the surgically repaired bone OR the other bone.

Also, they only put pins in the first time. I can't find anything that says they put a titanium rod in lining the bone to help give it structure. Hopefully, they'll do that this time.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

This hurts , but the Patriots have played great without Gronk. If they win Sunday and draw the Niners, it's especially a big blow, but I feel better than last year. Gronk's return has been a theoretical asset for months now, and during that time, the team has survived and players have stepped up.

Although Gronk is an all-world player, the Patriots can somewhat compensate for his absence on offense. If Talib, Dennard, or McCourty went down, I think that's a bigger blow to the team. Not that these guys are better than Gronk in terms of actual value, but when you look at the team's depth, that is.

I sense that Gronk's healing did not go well, and seeing him in the cast, I really wonder if he would've been close to 100% at any time. If his arm was that tender, I doubt his blocking could have really been superb in the next couple of weeks.

 

[VJCPatriot]

After watching Tony Gonzalez literally SNATCH balls out of space with defenders draped over him, it is hard to anoint Gronk a #1 TE in the NFL designation. Gonzalez amazes me for his durability, stamina, and play-making ability.

Are you kidding me? Gronk blows TG out of the water when he's fully healthy. He just hasn't been fully healthy this season. TG is a great tight end, but he's not even close to a healthy Gronk's impact on the game BOTH in the passing game and the blocking game.

I think you were not watching televised football in 2011. You know the year that Gronk shattered the receiving TD record for tight ends and led ALL receivers in the NFL for TDs even beating out the likes of Calvin Johnson.

Rob Gronkowski NFL Football Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com

 

[Patstopia]

I know the Pats don't issue press releases about injuries. So is most of this talk based on 'news' reports? Like the Niko 'hip' injury

 

[ensoul]

Very disappointing news. The first game back he had an arm Brace the size of Danny Woodhead which was a little concerning.

Over the summer my 7 year old broke his arm. He was in a cast for 6 weeks and the doctor said if he fell on it again in the next month it would break again. Gronk was back on the field less than two month after it broke. What is scary is that the fall did not look all that hard. No idea who is in charge of the medical staff over there but it was obvious it was not even close to being healed and he should have never been cleared to play.

 

[mgcolby]

Let's be real. He didn't just "fall" on it. He leaped into the air and had nearly his entire weight land on it. We don't know WHAT broke in it. We don't know if it was the surgically repaired bone OR the other bone.

Also, they only put pins in the first time. I can't find anything that says they put a titanium rod in lining the bone to help give it structure. Hopefully, they'll do that this time.

And we get a Bionic Gronk in 2013....:rocker:

 

[mgcolby]

Can sum up his injury in three words: Sucks donkey balls!

 

[OMGWTFJUDD]

Very disappointing news. The first game back he had an arm Brace the size of Danny Woodhead which was a little concerning.

Over the summer my 7 year old broke his arm. He was in a cast for 6 weeks and the doctor said if he fell on it again in the next month it would break again. Gronk was back on the field less than two month after it broke. What is scary is that the fall did not look all that hard. No idea who is in charge of the medical staff over there but it was obvious it was not even close to being healed and he should have never been cleared to play.

Gronk is not 7.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Very disappointing news. The first game back he had an arm Brace the size of Danny Woodhead which was a little concerning.

Over the summer my 7 year old broke his arm. He was in a cast for 6 weeks and the doctor said if he fell on it again in the next month it would break again. Gronk was back on the field less than two month after it broke. What is scary is that the fall did not look all that hard. No idea who is in charge of the medical staff over there but it was obvious it was not even close to being healed and he should have never been cleared to play.

What's scary about Gronk is how the original fracture came on a play that raised a few eyebrows including mine. He's either bulking up too much and putting too much strain on his skeletal system via muscle torque or he's taking something that is weakening his bones.
Love Gronk but he needs to rethink how he's working out. Needs to lower the strain on his body.
What's clear is this team cannot count on Gronk going forward. Two years in a row he cannot stay healthy for the playoffs. Team needs to rethink how much they want to have this offense revolve around this brittle player.
The blessing in disguise for the team is how they've had to incorporate life without Gronk into their offense for a long stretch this season. That will help them going forward.

 

[Snake Eyes]

You can count on Gronk being injured a significant part of the season, this is why we need another nasty TE on the roster.

 

[ensoul]

Gronk is not 7.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Yeah he is older and the older you get the longer bones take to heal. That is why I was shocked that the medical team cleared him to play.