Rob Gronkowski Leaves AFC Title Game After Being Leveled By Barry Church
UPDATE (5:15 p.m.): Rob Gronkowski will not return to the game, the Patriots announced during the fourth quarter.
UPDATE (4:40 p.m.): The Patriots announced that Rob Gronkowski is questionable to return with a head injury.
ORIGINAL STORY: FOXBORO, Mass. — Things went from bad to worse for the New England Patriots in the first half of the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Patriots were trailing 14-3 with less than two minutes to play in the first half when Tom Brady threw a pass up the seam intended for Rob Gronkowski. The star tight end stretched out for the ball and was pummeled by Jaguars safety Barry Church.
Church was whistled for unnecessary roughness on the play, but the real damage was to Gronkowski, who was wobbly when he got up and was taken to the locker room immediately.
The Patriots scored on a 1-yard James White touchdown to make it 14-10 at halftime.
