I have seen many things in my years of watching Patriots football, but seeing an impact player like Rob Gronkowski continue to have significant injures over his short career with the Patriots is new to me. Here are my thoughts on this latest injury though my eyes.
With the Patriots once again playing a very poor first half of football, I really had no doubt they would come back in this game as the second half began. However, this miraculous comeback by the Patriots was overshadowed, because aspirations of fourth Super Bowl trophy were downgraded significantly when Gronkowski got injured.
My first thought after the hit by T J Ward was that if we saw the cart, the season for Gronkowski was over. When he was taken off on the cart, my next thought then was the Patriots cannot overcome this injury to win a Super Bowl.
 It won't be easy, but despite losing tight end Rob Gronkowski New England still has a shot heading into the postseason. (USA TODAY Images) |
Now, Adam Schefter is reporting that Gronkowski has torn his ACL and MCL which means his season is over. So, do I stop watching the Patriots because of this injury? The answer to that question is absolutely not as I am a Patriots fan, and will enjoy the rest of the season coming up.
The journey to win a Super Bowl is a hard one, and injuries can change your chances. However, the 2001 Patriots showed us that anything is possible if you play together as a "team".
The Patriots offense will not be the same without Gronkowski. The opposing defense generally has a game-plan to stop Gronkowski which opens up opportunities for other players. Well, the job of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels just got much tougher, and he needs to figure out a way for the offense to adapt and change once again.
We saw this movie last season without Gronkowski in the play-offs, and it was not pretty. However, that loss to the Ravens had much more to do with the loss of Aqib Talib to an injury in the first half than missing Gronkowski, but he was a factor.
Right now, the Patriots have dealt with a significant amount of injuries all season, and the task seems large as we head towards the play-offs. So, can the Patriots overcome the injury to Gronkowski and win a Super Bowl?
Well, their chances got much tougher, but when you have Brady and Belichick, you always have a fighting chance. Also, the desire to win from this team is huge, and the victory yesterday was just one of several games this season that saw the Patriots find a way to win.
When you play as a team and never give up, you do give yourself a chance to win. In other seasons, I would tell you that there would be no chance for that fourth ring, but the competition in the AFC, and the league is down.
I have already seen the Patriots beat the Broncos, and with or without Gronkowski, I still think the Patriots have a chance to get to MetLife Stadium, and win the big game. I know how much more difficult it will be, but based on the victories this season, this Patriots team is up for a fight.
In a season of bad injuries, the latest one to Gronkowski is devastating, but did it end their quest for a fourth Lombardi Trophy? Many think so, and I have a serious doubt on the quest, but do not count them out just yet, because they have plenty of football left to play, and there is always a chance to see a team defy the odds like the 2001 Patriots did to win the organization their first ring playing together as a team.
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