The New England Patriots got some much-needed good news for the team after the team watched Rob Gronkowski get carted off the field in the loss to the Denver Broncos. The Patriots simply cannot afford any more injuries to the roster after they lost Dion Lewis for the season and Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman for stretches of time. While the injury to Gronkowski looked ugly, it appears to not be as bad as assumed heading into Week 13.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Gronkowski actually only suffered a minor knee strain as an MRI revealed only a deep bruise and no tears to the area. That is good news for New England who was fearing the worst from their star tight end. Schefter reports that Gronkowski could very easily not miss any time on the field depending on what his pain tolerance is. Right now the Patriots have the tight end listed as day-to-day. Quarterback Tom Brady stressed that he did not believe the hit on the tight end was dirty, but he was frustrated at the outcome.
"I hate to see it, but it really is the only way defenders can hit now," Brady said, via WEEI.com. "I bet if you asked the players, they would really rather go high than low. I don't think it's dirty. I just think that is how football is played now."
With Gronkowski potentially set to miss time, Scott Chandler becomes the team's most important player. The tight end has had more success this season than in past years, but he has yet to carry the load that Gronkowski does. The tight end becomes an immediate fantasy pick up. He finished the game against Denver with five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. At the moment, Chandler is the only healthy tight end the team has to work with and Brady notes that he has confidence in his teammate.
"Scott did a great job last night when he was kind of forced into that particular role [late in the fourth quarter] that Gronk has been in," Brady said. "He's acclimated really well. He's obviously going to be relied on heavily if Gronk is out."
Heading into Week 13, the biggest offensive performers could be Brandon Bolden and Brandon LaFell who both stepped up against the Broncos. It is unclear what the status of Amendola is. According to the Boston Herald, the receiver is expected to return in Week 13, but there are no guarantees. There is no doubting the Patriots need Amendola back. Aaron Dobson was just placed on injured reserve. The Patriots are simply out of healthy bodies and with one loss under their belts, the team is not looking for them to build up.
