Gronkowski will play

AP

It’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.

48 responses to “Gronkowski will play

  1. “and possibly after the whistle.”

    Last game the only one doing anything after the whistle was Matt Light.

  2. “using physicality at the line — and possibly after the whistle.”
    —–
    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!!!

  3. 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
    ———————————————–
    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!!!!

  4. 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.

  5. GRONK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. 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

  7. Ronnie Lott would have had the leg amputated below the knee on the sideline and then gone out and played better than ever.

  8. Next to Woodward and Bernstein this stands out as some incredible investigative reporting.

  9. 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

  10. 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.

  11. 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!

  12. 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

  13. 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.

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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…

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

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