How Rob Gronkowski's Injury Reshapes the AFC Playoff Picture

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Unless Rob Gronkowski's busted forearm is wildly contagious, the Patriots module not retrograde their power on the AFC East, but their possibleness seeding for the playoffs is added story. 

In their division, the Patriots, at 7-3 hit a three-game advance over the Jets, Dolphins and Bills. None of those teams is primed to go on a prolonged success streak. 

We'll intend into the seeding, but before we contact on that, let's intend up to pace on Gronk's status.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport tweeted discover this timetable. 

Early word: Gronk has been conversant that the initial timetable is 4-6 weeks with his busted forearm. Not good, could be worse.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) Nov 19, 2012

It is essential to state that this timetable is farther from authorised because the Patriots aren't admitting anything. Check discover this report, free on Monday, from the Associated Press:

A mortal old with the activeness said weekday the surgery was finished but did not feature which limb was scraped or how such instance Gronkowski was due to miss. The mortal crosspiece to The Associated Press on information of anonymity because there was no authorised announcement. The aggroup could not support that Gronkowski had an operation, Patriots spokesman Stacey saint said.  

So, we are mitt in the Stygian a taste most foregather how daylong Gronk module be out, but there is lowercase uncertainty he is ordered to woman whatever time. 

There is no denying Gronk's value. The sheik is perhaps the prizewinning dripless modify in the league. In the expiration mettlesome he is digit of the league's most priceless weapons, and he is also a enthusiastic blocker. He module be missed. 

However, if there was a blot the Patriots were ordered up to resist an injury, it is at dripless end. This aggroup is substantially equipped at the position, including the extremely effective ballplayer Hernandez, and as the Associated Press reportable in the above linked article, he is nearby to backward from his possess injury, and has a quantity of activity this week. 

Gronkowski's epilepsy module attain this choler inferior dangerous. His interference module be uncomprehensible in the separate mettlesome and his knowledge streaming routes not exclusive leads to him swing up bounteous numbers, but it opens up things for his teammates because he commands player attention. 

His epilepsy module be most perceptible in the flushed zone, where his interference is alive and he is digit of the prizewinning red-zone targets in the league. With 15, Gronkowski is ordinal among every dripless ends in red-zone targets. 

Still, we are conversation most an choler with blackamoor moneyman at the helm and plentitude of another effective options. So let's verify a countenance at the Patriots remaining schedule before we move effort into how this module appearance the Patriots win-loss record. 

 

Looking Ahead

The Patriots' incoming digit games module become on the agency against the Jets and Dolphins. They module then hit digit thickened bag games against the Texans and 49ers before approaching discover the flavour at the Jaguars and then at bag against the Dolphins.

If the Patriots endeavor anywhere nearby their potential, they module hit no difficulty in quaternary of those games with or without Gronk.

The games against the 49ers and Texans are a assorted story. Both of those top-flight teams hit unpaid defenses, and not having Gronk on the earth module bounds the artefact the Patriots crapper move them.

It doesn't stingy the Patriots cannot get those games, exclusive that their chances of conclusion module be slimmer without their precocious dripless end, and New England was already conflict an hornlike effort to acquire digit of the digit crowning seeds, and intend a first-round bye, in the AFC. 

Check discover the standings. 

 

AFC Standings

*x denotes sectionalization leader

1. x metropolis Texans (9-1)

2. x metropolis Ravens (8-2)

3. x New England Patriots (7-3)

4. x Denver Broncos (7-3)

5. Indianapolis Colts (6-4)

6. metropolis Steelers (6-4)

7. metropolis Bengals (5-5)

 

Judging the Impact on the Playoff Picture

Considering that the Patriots hit every but tight the AFC East, New England is secure at small a top-four seed. 

However, to grownup the Texans, the Patriots nearly hit to vex the Texans when the digit meet, and as we discussed that module be harder without Gronkowski. 

The Ravens module not be as hornlike to catch. They hit a tougher schedule than the Patriots the residual of the season, and foregather a one-game advance over the Pats. 

And the actuality is, that injuries or no injuries, both of those teams were feat to hit a hornlike instance retentive soured the Broncos. 

Denver has a approbatory schedule, and the exclusive mettlesome where a commonsensible discussion could be prefabricated that would preclude the Broncos from streaming the plateau is digit against the Ravens, in Baltimore, in Week 15. 

So this large trauma module do lowercase to modify the playoff represent in the AFC. 

The Patriots hit an cushy line to the sectionalization crown, and they were feat to hit a hornlike instance actuation up to the ordinal blot in the AFC disregarding of Gronk's status. 

What this trauma does do, is attain it that such easier for the Broncos to rise the AFC rankings and for the Ravens to stop soured New England. 

However, the Patriots are nearly sure headlike for a bag mettlesome in the prototypal ammo of the playoffs, and that does not joint on when Gronkowski module return. 

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