Gronk out until at least the Super Bowl. Back surgery.
Soooo .... pretty much seals it for me. Another year where the ceiling for the Pats is the AFC Championship game.
Will the Pats have home field? The remaining games are:
- Rams
- Ravens
- @ Broncos
- Jets
- @ Dolphins
That feels like 3-2 to me, but it's December and Brady is Brady so perhaps they'll go 4-1 instead.
12-4, that get you the #1 seed?
Next question: If the Pats are hosting the Raiders, Broncos, Steelers, or Chiefs, assuming relative health, do you feel good about that game?
What if they're on the road, instead?
I just don't have any faith in the Pats' defense, and their offense historically has a lot of trouble creating a lot of openings against quality opponents without Gronk on the field. If an injury causes Edelman or Bennett to miss any time, even a couple quarters of a key game, the offense could totally stall out.
Oh well. The Pats will win 11+ games again, host a playoff game again, and probably get to the AFC Championship again. We're spoiled.
It's a bummer, though. I love watching Gronk play.