However, as Gordon Gronkowski said and league sources have told the Globe, Rob Gronkowski is expected to play in the Super Bowl Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.
Foot and ankle specialist Robert Anderson, based in Charlotte, N.C., has been consulted about the injury, according to a league source. Gronkowski may require an arthroscopy after the Super Bowl.
The two practices this week were the first Gronkowski has missed since training camp.
The Patriots and Giants were required to submit injury reports yesterday, despite the game being more than a week away.
Gronkowski was one of 13 Patriots listed as questionable. The others were Deion Branch (knee), Marcus Cannon (ankle), Patrick Chung (knee), Dane Fletcher (thumb), James Ihedigbo (shoulder), Kyle Love (ankle), Logan Mankins (knee), Rob Ninkovich (hip), Brandon Spikes (knee), Sebastian Vollmer (back, foot), Wes Welker (knee), and Tracy White (abdomen). All were limited in practice yesterday.
Dan Connolly (groin) and Matthew Slater (shoulder), listed as probable, were full participants.
It’s not easy
Gronkowski and fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez present matchup problems for defenses. Ninkovich should know. He tries to cover them in practice.
“I go against Aaron and Rob every day, and I’d say those are the best tight ends in the league right now,’’ Ninkovich said. “With me as a defensive player, going against those guys, it only makes me better. They give me the best look I could possibly get.’’
So, Ninkovich was asked, which of the two is better?
“You can’t compare them because they’re two different tight ends,’’ he said. “Aaron, obviously, a corner can’t cover him, and Rob, a corner can’t cover him, either, because he’s so tall. Rob has such length and range, he can pretty much go and get anything, and Aaron is just so explosive and quick, you just can’t cover him.’’
Long-range benefits
With three losses in their first eight games, and a defense that was banged up and giving up big chunks of yards, the Patriots took their share of criticism. Linebacker Jerod Mayo said it served as motivation.
