Patriots red zone offense minus Rob Gronkowski
“It was just an unfortunate fall for him,” said Dr. Elizabeth Matzkin, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Was the bone 100 percent healed? Probably not 100 percent healed. Was it as strong as it was before he broke it the first time? Probably not.
He got a little unlucky. I don’t think there’s anyone to point fingers at or blame. That’s the risk you take when you’re taking care of an athlete at that level.”
So, to help you worry even more, I am going to talk about where the Patriots offense will miss him the most. If you read the title, that area of the offense would be the red zone. Gronkowski is a freak of nature. He is 6'6'' 265 pounds and his lengthy arms and solid hands are what make him so dangerous in the red zone. In just 3 seasons, Gronk has scored 38 touchdowns, ridiculous numbers for a 23-year-old tight end and most of those scores came within the 20 yard line.
ESPN's AFC East blogger James Walker brought up some great points about the lack of Gronk outside of the red zone. Wes Welker can find ways to get open in the middle of the field, Aaron Hernandez can open up play at tight end, and Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley can play their important roles. But you cannot replace the production of Gronkowski in the red zone.
Gronkowski caught 38 touchdowns in three seasons, and a majority of his scores were inside the 20-yard line. He caught 11 touchdowns in 11 regular-season games in 2012 despite being in and out of the lineup.
Guys are going to need to step up and play a bigger role inside the 20's, who could that be? Talk with me on twitter: @joeloobs
Sources:
bostonglobe.com
washingtonpost.com
