During an NFL slate that saw the Jacksonville Jaguars take the Houston Texans to overtime and the New England Patriots score over 50 points, the biggest news of the weekend may come from the injury report.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was just one of many notable players to get injured this past Sunday, breaking his forearm in the team's 59-24 win, team sources confirmed to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
"I knew he had gotten injured, but I obviously didn't know the extent," quarterback Tom Brady said on his weekly appearance on WEEI sports radio in Boston, according to ESPNBoston.com. "But he's such a great player, it sucks that he gets hurt, but it's part of this game. He's got to do his best to get back as soon as possible, and we've got to go out there and win some games without him."
Gronkowski was injured with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter on the extra point attempt by the Patriots after scoring a touchdown. According to Schefter, the injury will not end Gronkowsk's season, but he will have surgery later.
Although the amount of time Gronkowski will miss is up in the air, NFL.com is reporting that he will miss at least the next four to six weeks.
"Rob is obviously a special player, so when he goes down, it will obviously hurt," fellow tight end Michael Hoomanawanui said after the game before the extent of the injury was known. "But we have a lot of depth and a lot of guys anxious to fill in and help this team win. Hopefully we can get Aaron (Hernandez) back (from an ankle injury). We'll just say a prayer and keep moving on."
Gronkowski is one of the most talented players in the league and has been an essential part of the Patriots offense die to the ankle injury of tight end Aaron Hernandez. This year he has caught 53 balls for 748 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 10 games. Hernandez has missed six games this season.
Against the Colts on Sunday, Gronkowski had seven catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns. In the past three weeks he has caught 18 balls and five touchdowns. Last season he set a position record with 17 touchdowns to go along with 90 receptions for 1,327 yards.
"When anyone, let alone Rob, goes down, that's part of the business. One play, you never know, unfortunately it could happen," Hoomanawanui said. "You just have to be ready to step up and keep taking on whatever role the team needs you to play. We'll move on and be ready to fill in and get ready for the Jets on Thursday."
The Patriots have a number of tight ends on their depth chart, including Hoomanawanui Hernandez, Visanthe Shiancoe and Daniel Fells.
According to the Associated Press, "Entering Week 11, Gronkowski had been on the field for 668 of the team's 710 offensive snaps (94.1 percent), the highest total among the team's offensive skill position players."
Gronkowski has been a tough player for his three-year career, never missing a single game. He dealt with an ankle injury in the Super Bowl last season against the Giants and has also been dealing with a nagging hip injury.
No tight end in the league has put up numbers like Gronkowski in the history of the NFL. According to ESPN Stats & Information, he has 37 touchdowns in his career, which are "the third-most by any player in his first three seasons in NFL history. Only Randy Moss (43) and Jerry Rice (40) had more."
Quarterback Tom Brady is more effective when Gronkowski is involved in the offense, including on Sunday when he was 7-for-7 in targets to the tight end. According to ESPN.com, "Brady is 5-for-7 targeting Gronkowski in the end zone in his last four games after starting the season 2-for-6 on those throws in New England's first six games."
Some have criticized head coach Bill Belichick for having Gronkowski in the game at all with the score that lopsided, especially when it was an extra point attempt.
"On Sunday, the Patriots were unable to escape the worst-case scenario, and now could be without their top tight end for a portion of the home stretch of their schedule. But to cite their tactic of leaving Gronkowski and their top field-goal protection team in late in a blowout game as a mistake is short-sighted," Field Yates wrote on ESPN.com
The Patriots are first place in the AFC East division and will play the New York Jets on Thursday night.
