APIt’s hardly Pulitzer-worthy, but we nevertheless need to report what we know.
Per a league source, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will play Sunday (wait, there’s a game Sunday?) despite a high ankle sprain suffered against the Ravens in the AFC title game.
As agent Drew Rosenhaus told NBC SportsTalk this week, Gronkowski wouldn’t play if it wasn’t the Super Bowl. And Gronkowski may end up having surgery after the game.
The real question for tomorrow’s purposes is whether and to what extent he’ll be effective. The Giants surely will test the ankle early, using physicality at the line — and possibly after the whistle.
The biggest challenge could come during the 29-minute halftime, at which time the ankle could swell and stiffen.
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wow what a surprise
Shock!
Everyone knew Gronk would play. The question is how good can he be?
Wow what a surprise good luck to him
“and possibly after the whistle.”
Last game the only one doing anything after the whistle was Matt Light.
Patriots never allow injuries to be talked about this much. This is a smokescreen. Ankle is not nearly as bad as advertised
And in other news, water is wet!
“using physicality at the line — and possibly after the whistle.”
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I’d actually like to see that, I love watching mankins attempt to kill people at random intervals for no reason.. I want to see what he does when he actually gets pissed off, can he get himself arrested during the game for clubbing a DLman with a cornerback? One way to find out, go at that ankle giants. PLEASE!!!
Gronk will rock. But for only the 1st half. Unfortunately, his ankle tightens up at halftime and he is a non-factor in the 2nd half.
**EXCLUSIVE**
Secret audio revealing Tom Coughlin instructing the Giants D on how to stop Gronk…
“The Giants surely will test the ankle early.”
Sure, they need to see if he is sandbagging this injury….
Perhaps he’ll pull out a heroic TO-like performance.
bbrophy1 says:Feb 5, 2012 12:00 AM
Patriots never allow injuries to be talked about this much. This is a smokescreen. Ankle is not nearly as bad as advertised
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Never allow?? Considering you have to report injuries and it’s the super bowl and it’s been 2 weeks since the last game, they don’t have much choice!!!!
Drew Rosenhaus, the Dad, Belichick, Boot, No Boot, kids fine. It’s a type 1 at most. 42 83 81 85 TD’s
im…flabbergasted?
Gee was this ever even a story? Of course this Polak (thanks Ditka) was gonna play. Geesh. Biggest non-story ever brah.
This throws a wrench in the Giants game plan, I’m sure of it.
Better train a camera on that ankle when Gronk gets tackled. We all know the Giants game plan to injure injured players; something they freely admit.
Is there a football game tomorrow?
GRONK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It will be interesting to see how directly the Giants target the ankle. I doubt it and 130mm people are watching. Obviously they will jam him at the line as they will all other Pats. If they obviously target the injured area, I think that will set off some emotions, which might favor the Pats
Ronnie Lott would have had the leg amputated below the knee on the sideline and then gone out and played better than ever.
Next to Woodward and Bernstein this stands out as some incredible investigative reporting.
Get ready to be Gronked NY Midgets
Who didn’t see this one coming?
Well aren’t you a genius! Duhhhhh!
suprise suprise
The smart move is to sit him til half….. Then there is no threat of locking up during the extended half time show!
He blows up after the half, surprises a worn out defense!
Smart play here ! Pats by 7
zaggs says:
“and possibly after the whistle.”
Last game the only one doing anything after the whistle was Matt Light.
___________________
Cry more, pls.
Go Gronk! I want to see Osi get trucked.
I am shocked! Belicheat is at it again…He told Gronk to fake the injury, used Gronk’s dad to “spread the word” to the press…
One thing I know for sure…Bernard Pollard’s a dirty player…I watched the replay of that tackle…He pushes his knee in back of the TE’s back right knee, brings him down, and rolls him up and over…Dirty play by a dirty player…He should have been tossed!
Nothing a needle can’t handle.
Has anyone watched this dude talk he looks and sounds like an idiot…
“Antrell Rolle: Tackle and roll the ankle….”
Sincerely,
Bernard Pollard
In a move no one sees belichick holds Gronk out til the 2nd half and uses 3 wide out and big packages with solder as te to run law firm and woodhead. Michaels and collinsworth lament Gronk’s unavailbility until he comes out in the 3rd quarter pumped full of toradol. Pats run hurry up in 2nd half. Everyone likes to say belichick is antiestablishment; this would fly in everyone’s face in terms of strategy. Helps eliminate the stiff ankle Gronk would have in the 2nd half everyone is lamenting plus soften up the gmen’s line in 1st half
amazing how gronk can play but pouncey could not last year?
Gronk’s ankle injury will not affect his height of 6′ 6″. If the ankle does tighten up at halftime then you use him vertically. Send him out wide so a shorter DB is covering him, have him run to the sticks and throw high. The beauty of Gronk is you don’t need his speed and an open field to use him effectively.
Since the Patriots never talk about injuries yet have with Gronk and since his agent Rosenhaus has said if this weren’t the Super Bowl he wouldn’t be playing (creating the Superman image) you can go ahead and assume Gronk’s injury is no where close to the severity the media (with the help of Rosenhaus and the Pats) has made it out to be.
Not all high ankle sprains are the same. Some are stable and some unstable.
Use Gronk as an extra blocker – Hernandez can get open quicker, give Brady a little more time to find Welker, Hernandez, Ocho, Faulk, Branch or hand it off.
Then – SURPRISE!!!
Or they could use one of the LBs the way they used to use Mike Grabel.
Everyone seems to favor the Giants – I like that
Since the B&B partnership began in the 2001 season the Patriots have NEVER lost to one team 3 times in a row.
Will that change this evening?
Naaaah
Shocker.
Oh, please…
… was there ever any REAL serious doubt?
The cheesy example put forth by Tastelessberger
every week seems to be rubbing off on others now.
If this sort of thing continues, I’ll reluctantly have to
start blaming Willis Reed for starting this whole mess…
A fully healthy team vs another fully healthy team. This is going to be good. Go Giants!
DUH, who did not know this?
Gronk is fine…ankle is not as bad as reported. The dude was running around and jumping up and down like a sick maniac after the Ravens game.
Gronk has a big game today.
Considering he returned to the same game he was injured in, I can’t imagine anyone thought he wouldn’t play a game 2 weeks later.
Who cares..Pierre Paul is going to be mvp.
Gronk is channeling his inner Big Ben.
Gronk will play. Gronk will throw any Giants player who gets in his way.
The patriots have never lost to a team 3 times in a row….till now
Giants 31
Patsies 10