How big Rob Gronkowski return is for New England Patriots

1 of 2

Dec 30, 2012; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /

The New England Patriots are about as shaky of a 2-0 team you’ll see, and they are just a few plays away from being an 0-2 team on the verge of seeing their playoff hopes effectively end before the month of September even ends.

But alas, they’re without a loss and could be getting back their best offensive weapon and arguably the best player on the team in All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Yes, you read that right. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the first two weeks about the Pats, it’s that Tom Brady is no longer the MVP-caliber player he once was, and cannot be counted on to carry this team to the Super Bowl or even a deep playoff run. Without Gronkowski, he’s still in the upper-echelon of NFL QBs, but he’s no longer in that “elite” class.

Home/New England Patriots