Rob Gronkowski’s Seven Plays After Injury in AFC Championship Showed Mixed Results, Based on Film Review

INDIANAPOLIS — Somewhat amazingly, after viewing every angle of the play in which Rob Gronkowski's left ankle got mangled up in the AFC Championship Game, the tight end only missed eight plays.

It was an ugly injury, one that's been the primary storyline during the last two weeks as the Patriots have geared up for Super Bowl XLVI against the Giants. The widespread belief is that Gronkowski will play, but the uncertainty will be his effectiveness.

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is no slouch, and he'll ensure his defensive players put plenty of pressure on Gronkowski at the line of scrimmage. They'll test him by pounding him at the line, both on run plays and pass plays, with the hope of keeping him in check and wearing him down over the course of the full game.

If it's true that Gronkowski has a high ankle sprain and will need surgery after the season, which has been widely reported, it's obvious he won't be at full strength after just two weeks. But Gronkowski has dedicated himself to strengthening the ankle around the clock, and he'll probably be able to numb it before kickoff Sunday.

Again, with these factors in mind, it's tough to gage where he'll be physically over the course of the game, particularly after a 30-minute halftime show that can cause the ankle to stiffen up.

Gronkowski is as tough as they come, evidenced by his quick return after the injury, so it's fair to assume he'll still be an asset in the Super Bowl. But that's still just an assumption.

Gronkowski played all seven of the Patriots' offensive snaps once he returned to the game in the fourth quarter against the Ravens, though the final one was just a kneel down to ice the clock. To get a feel for how he might look against the Giants, let's take a quick run through the film to study Gronkowski's return.

Play 1: Gronkowski lined up tight to the left in a three-point stance, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran off the right guard for no gain. Gronkowski was pushed back slightly by linebacker Terrell Suggs, but neither player had an effect on the play.

Play 2: Gronkowski lined up tight to the right in a three-point stance, and Tom Brady scored on a quarterback sneak. Gronkowski had no impact on the play.

Play 3: Gronkowski lined up tight to the left in a three-point stance, and Brady was intercepted in the end zone. Gronkowski released free off the line and moved well, and he was open 20 yards down the field on the right sideline after he ran a crossing route behind the linebackers. It would have been a tough throw, but Brady could have hit Gronkowski for a big gain if he looked in that direction.

Play 4: Gronkowski lined up split to the right in a two-point stance, and Brady completed a seven-yard pass to Deion Branch on the left side of the field. Gronkowski appeared to be a decoy on the play by running to the right flat to make it look like a bubble screen, but Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker, who were lined up with Gronkowski in a trips formation, ran routes instead of setting up blocks. Brady never looked to Gronkowski on the play.

Play 5: Gronkowski lined up tight to the left in a three-point stance in an overloaded set to that side of the field. Nate Solder was a third tackle on the play, lined up to the left of Matt Light, and Gronkowski was to the left of Solder while Hernandez was to the left of Gronkowski. Green-Ellis took the pitch left, and Gronkowski and Hernandez double teamed linebacker Jarrett Johnson, who broke free to Hernandez's side to make the initial contact on Green-Ellis, who was then quickly tackle by Suggs.

Play 6: Gronkowski lined up tight to the right in a three-point stance, and he ran a nine-yard in-cut. He was jammed at the line by linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, who stayed all over Gronkowski in man coverage. Gronkowski was slow on the play and couldn't get open, and Brady threw an incompletion to Hernandez.

Play 7: Brady took a knee to end the game.

It was a positive sign that Gronkowski was on the field for all seven of those plays. He couldn't make an impact on four of those plays (two runs to another direction, one presumed decoy route, one kneel down), which only leaves three grade-worthy plays. He ran one good route and one slow route, and he did a good job sealing his side of the block on one running play.

It's not much to look at, but it was interesting to see how Gronkowski was used after the injury. He didn't make a tangible impact, but his presence forced the Ravens to account for him, which was a victory in itself.

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