UPDATE: Gronkowski torn ACL, MCL, out for season

[GoColts8818]

Saw on twitter he was tackled low in the knee and looks ugly based on reports.

Hope it's not as bad as people are saying.

[Moose Of Woe]

Season ender on eyeball test, but we'll see.

[Andy]

He was down for a few minutes and yes, it did not look good. 

[kjyb]

hard hit

[Moose Of Woe]

AP had his knee go today as well. Not a very good day.

 

Edit: Ankle, not knee.

[Jules]

Carted off.......

 

NE offense is officially in big trouble again.

 

 

A lot of great players out this season. I am still mourning Reggie Wayne and Aaron Rodgers.

[The Colts Walker]

I hate to see injuries, but love to watch Brady struggle. Hope it's not as serious as it looks

[snkdy]

Wow, just when the Pats thought they'd finally have him healthy for the playoffs. Sucks for Gronk. He's a great player.

[Dustin]

The injury (brutal, look at own risk)https://o.twimg.com/2/proxy.jpg?t=HBgpaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0cGljLmNvbS9zaG93L2xhcmdlL2RvMXplci5qcGcUwAcUgAoAFgASAABMBHZABlzMc

[Jules]

Congrats to Denver for already winning the AFC?

 

Of course unless they have an ice bowl game or something....

[James Harden]

Just terrible for the Gronk. Always getting injured and never being 100% healthy. Pray that he can return next season.

[ReMeDy]

So is the league going to stop players from going low now?

[GoColts8818]

Congrats to Denver for already winning the AFC?

 

Of course unless they have an ice bowl game or something....

Never underestimate Peyton Manning in the playoffs...

 

Bengals are in the best shape health wise and are under the radar because they are the Bengals and look to be the two seed right now if the Pats don't come back on the Browns. 

[House]

ACL done for the season.

[snkdy]

ESPN reporting it's a torn ACL, as expected. Unfortunate.

[House]

ESPN reporting it's a torn ACL, as expected. Unfortunate.

Why are you stealing my thunder lol.

[amfootball]

Bad news for Gronk. Lousy hit low. What can you do. This team is mentally tough.

[snkdy]

Why are you stealing my thunder lol.

 

Lol my bad ;)

[snkdy]

Bad news for Gronk. Lousy hit low. What can you do. This team is mentally tough.

 

The new rules (to prevent concussions) are causing this slew of injuries.

[Cynjin]

The new rules (to prevent concussions) are causing this slew of injuries.

 

That is very true, but there would not be the new rules if not for the lawsuits by the former players.  Kind of a catch 22, the current players would rather hit high than low, but the NFL is afraid of future lawsuits and is reacting to that fear.

[Moose Of Woe]

There needs to be a clause where you willingly put your body and health on the line to play in the NFL. Whatever happens, happens and you agree not to sue. Of course all players should be given fantastic and free health care forever.

 

These guys are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a season, if not millions to do so. It sucks when it happens, but that's what football is. A violent, barbaric sport saved for the toughest athletes among our kind. In exchange for a crapton of money and, potentially, fame. Whether they want the latter or not they all want the former.

[OldManP]

How about if the NFL made a new rule, you must tackle with your arms?  Arms/hands must be the first body part to contact a ball carrier. That might stop these CBs and safeties from launching themselves at people.  If the game is going to survive, the NFL must figure out a way to make it less violent.

[BOTT]

The new rules (to prevent concussions) are causing this slew of injuries.

That is very true, but there would not be the new rules if not for the lawsuits by the former players. Kind of a catch 22, the current players would rather hit high than low, but the NFL is afraid of future lawsuits and is reacting to that fear.

That hit had nothing to do with the new rules. Gronk wasn't a defenseless receiver, he could have been hit anywhere at that point. Ward went low because Gronk weighs 265 lbs.

[TAPLOOK]

If only that right foot wasn't planted............

The Patriots are better prepared to deal with this than earlier in the season but it's impactful. It's the Patriots and if anyone can overcome it's them.

[JerodMayo51]

If only that right foot wasn't planted............

The Patriots are better prepared to deal with this than earlier in the season but it's impactful. It's the Patriots and if anyone can overcome it's them.

 

 

There is only so much a team can overcome.

 

A team can only give out so many big contracts for core players that are the pillars of the team.  They have lost nearly every one of their top players/salaries/captains...

 

Wilfork = done for year.. one of highest paid on team vs salary cap.. team captain

jerod mayo = done for year.. one of highest paid on team vs salary cap..  team captain

Sebastian Vollmer = done for year. one of highest paid on team vs salary cap.  all pro RT and big FA signing from last year.

Gronk = done for year. one of highest paid on team vs salary cap. all pro & one of nfls biggest super stars.. cannot be replaced.

tommy kelly = done for year.. big veteran DT signing to sure up defensive line..  

 

They also have Aaron Dobson and Thompkins injured right now...  so the offense has Edelman and Amendola as its #1 and #2 WR, with Boyce (rookie) and Collie providing depth.. and basically no tight ends on the roster to speak of.

 

Marcus Cannon was injured and he was replacing Vollmer on at RT.. so now we're on our 3rd string RT. Brady is the 6th most sacked QB in the league this year already.

 

Dennard has been injured in the secondary, Talib has been nursing a hip flexor...

 

The only star talent the Patriots have left on their team now is Brady, Mankins, McCourty and Chandler Jones..  with an argument made for Talib i suppose as well.. but its going to be difficult starting 5 rookies on defense and starting 2-3 WRs a game that are rookies, along with some rookie no name Tight Ends.

 

 

 

If Brady can manage to keep winning with these circumstances.. its pretty clear that hes the MVP, but he doesn't have any chance to actually win the award.

 

The league better look out next year though when they get all of these guys back from injury...  they're going to be out for blood.

[AntonMcG]

Bad news for Gronk. Lousy hit low. What can you do. This team is mentally tough.

 

You were defending low hits in pre-season.

[LordHelpOurColts]

Where else is he supposed to hit him? He's 260.

[Synthetic]

They are so screwed now without Gronk. They have struggled enough without him, this ends their season.

 

When they lost the convict over the off season it really was a death blow to them.

[Sports Central1]

Brandon Meriweather said this earlier on that he will start trying to take out players' legs and injure their legs since he can't hit high anymore.  This is ridiculous.

 

Coaches encourage this play (Sean Payton?)  Players would NEVER play dirty or take cheap shots if their coaches really went after them during the week and benched them if they played like this.  They need to police their own.  When was the last time a coach benched one of his own players for taking a cheap shot?

 

So it's a lose lose situation.  You hit a guy in the head and give him a concussion then he misses 1 to 3 games and comes back and when he's in his 40's or 50's or even sooner starts to get dementia and alzheimers.  You take out a guys knees and gone for the season or 2 seasons and comes back.

 

Do we want an NFL where the QB's and all other offensive players are going to be like and end up like Derrick Rose of the Bulls where they miss entire seasons at a time and their careers are cut short?

 

Best way to tackle someone is to bear hug them above the knees to shoulders.   A shoulder to shoulder hit is good too.

[TAPLOOK]

There is only so much a team can overcome.

 

A team can only give out so many big contracts for core players that are the pillars of the team.  They have lost nearly every one of their top players/salaries/captains...

 

Wilfork = done for year.. one of highest paid on team vs salary cap.. team captain

jerod mayo = done for year.. one of highest paid on team vs salary cap..  team captain

Sebastian Vollmer = done for year. one of highest paid on team vs salary cap.  all pro RT and big FA signing from last year.

Gronk = done for year. one of highest paid on team vs salary cap. all pro & one of nfls biggest super stars.. cannot be replaced.

tommy kelly = done for year.. big veteran DT signing to sure up defensive line..  

 

They also have Aaron Dobson and Thompkins injured right now...  so the offense has Edelman and Amendola as its #1 and #2 WR, with Boyce (rookie) and Collie providing depth.. and basically no tight ends on the roster to speak of.

 

Marcus Cannon was injured and he was replacing Vollmer on at RT.. so now we're on our 3rd string RT. Brady is the 6th most sacked QB in the league this year already.

 

Dennard has been injured in the secondary, Talib has been nursing a hip flexor...

 

The only star talent the Patriots have left on their team now is Brady, Mankins, McCourty and Chandler Jones..  with an argument made for Talib i suppose as well.. but its going to be difficult starting 5 rookies on defense and starting 2-3 WRs a game that are rookies, along with some rookie no name Tight Ends.

 

 

 

If Brady can manage to keep winning with these circumstances.. its pretty clear that hes the MVP, but he doesn't have any chance to actually win the award.

 

The league better look out next year though when they get all of these guys back from injury...  they're going to be out for blood.

My hope is the Dobson and Thompkins aren't to seriously injured and I feel they are much more prepared than early on in the season. I think they may have been able to go but BB thought he could give them a breather against Cleveland. Who knew? Amendola is healthy as well so in that sense they are much better prepared but it's without a doubt a tough road. I like this team no matter what happens going forward.

[ColtsBlueFL]

Gronkowski has a torn ACL and MCL.  He's out.  Pat's will have to do their next man up routine to maintain.

 

{I didn't this posted, mods please merge if it is redundant} 

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000295511/article/rob-gronkowski-out-for-year-with-torn-acl-mcl

[oldunclemark]

That defender hit Gronkowski in the knee because he wanted to..not because of rules..

 

The much repeated theory that if you cant hit in the head that you MUST hit in the knee is just slot from players and explayers.

 

Players don't want to tackle.....

 

There are more options than the head and the knee

[-JJ-]

The new rules (to prevent concussions) are causing this slew of injuries.

The player that hit Gronk said he was afraid of a fine by going high so he went low.

 

Funny how a rule preventing one kind of injury leads to another kind.

[oldunclemark]

The player that hit Gronk said he was afraid of a fine by going high so he went low.

 

Funny how a rule preventing one kind of injury leads to another kind.

No, the player who hit low didn't want to tackle him, he wanted knock him out.  NFL players don't tackle.

 

Its an excuse to say that the only option from hitting someone in the head is hitting them in the knee.

 

How about putting a shoulder or helmet on the ball.?

[Dustin]

That defender hit Gronkowski in the knee because he wanted to..not because of rules..

The much repeated theory that if you cant hit in the head that you MUST hit in the knee is just slot from players and explayers.

Players don't want to tackle.....

There are more options than the head and the knee

To br fair, Gronk had 65 lbs on that guy. Hitting Gronk low is the only way to get him down.

[21isSuperman]

This has been a terrible year for him in terms of injuries.  The back and forearm kept him out for a long time, then he comes back and plays really well only to have his season ended by a significant knee injury.  It's still too early to label him as injury prone though, in my opinion.  Here's hoping he heals quickly

[TAPLOOK]

It's an occupational hazard. DB's have been tackling bigger players low since forever. It's timing. Gronk saw him coming but couldn't get pressure off the leg quick enough. I'm certain in his minds eye he thought "Oh no". It was one ones fault and just a football play that probably would have happened regardless of the rules.

[TAPLOOK]

Best wishes to Gronk on a speedy and full recovery. I hate to see a player go out like that.

[Callie]

Last year he broke the arm, and what else?

[Sports Central1]

Biggest punks in all of sports are safeties and linebackers in the NFL.  I can't stand players on defense who only play defense and do the hitting and talk trash but they themselves will never play offense to get hit.  This is why NHL players are much more tougher, they hit and get hit.

 

Players in the NFL who only play defense is like pitchers in the American League baseball who don't have to get up to bat to hit due to the DH so they are more freely to bean batters.  Pitchers in the National League have to get up to bat so they have to face the repercussions and retaliation if they hit a batter.

 

Toughest players in the NFL are slot receivers who go over the middle like Wes Welker.  Julian Edelman is also tough since he plays on offense and defense.

 

Please, please someone put Bernard Pollard and Brandon Meriweather out there on offense in the slot.