Super Bowl Predictions 2012: Why Rob Gronkowski's Injury Won't Hold Him Back

Since injuring his left ankle in the AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 18, Rob Gronkowski has been the biggest storyline in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants.

It was a mere two days ago that Gronkowski shed his walking boot, telling the media:

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"I don't know yet, we're going day to day," he said. "We're making new steps every day and feeling better every single day. You just want to keep going in the right direction. I want to be out there with the team, obviously." 

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Gronkowski practiced for the first time on Thursday, and although it was limited, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick believes that Gronkowski is improving each day.

Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston quoted Belichick saying, "I think he's coming along. We'll have to see where he gets to, but it's certainly moving in the right direction."

This is great news for New England as they don't have a backup on the roster for Gronkowski, and they run more than 80 percent of their offense in two or more tight end sets.  

Hearing this will likely result in Giants head coach Tom Coughlin beginning to ramp up his game plan on how to stop Gronk, as the G-Men were susceptible to big-play TEs all season long.

See for yourself:

• Week 1 at Washington: Fred Davis—five receptions and 105 yards
• Week 9 at New England: Gronkowski—eight receptions, 101 yards and one TD
• Week 12 at New Orleans: Jimmy Graham—five receptions, 84 yards and two TDs
• Week 13 vs. Green Bay: Jermichael Finley—six receptions, 87 yards and one TD
• NFC conference championship: Vernon Davis—three receptions, 112 yards and two TDs

The Giants defense that surrendered these jumbo statistics finished the regular season ranked No. 29 in passing defense, allowing 255 YPG.

New York has amped up its pass defense in the postseason, allowing Matt Ryan to throw for a mere 199 yards in the divisional round and holding Aaron Rodgers to 264 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

But as seen above, New York was unable to contain Davis in the NFC conference championship, an inferior talent to that of Gronkowski.

Gronkowski has dominated the Big Apple, shredding the Giants D in Week 9 and torching Rex Ryan's "Super Bowl-caliber" defense for 12 receptions, 144 yards and two touchdowns in a pair games against the New York Jets. 

Given the news that Gronkowski's high ankle sprain has improved, it would appear that he's poised for another colossal performance against the Giants.

Gronk has proved game after game that he is Brady's favorite target, and that opposing cornerbacks and linebackers don't stand a chance in coverage.

Aside from leading the league in touchdown receptions with 17, Gronkowski also put together seven multi-TD games.

His 100-plus-yard performance against Big Blue in Week 9 was one of five games in which he surpassed the mark, and he ranked No. 4 in the NFL in YAC with 656.

No. 87 followed up his regular-season dominance by catching 10 balls for 145 yards and three scores against the Denver Broncos in the AFC divisional round.

New Orleans Saints TE Jimmy Graham is the only other TE who came within earshot of Gronkowski's numbers, as Graham finished the 2011 regular season with 99 receptions, 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Plain and simple, Gronkowski is a beast, and the Giants will have trouble stopping him even if he's not 100 percent healthy.

Gronkowski is aware that he could possibly hurt his team if he's not healthy enough to play, but he also stated that he knows his limits.

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"I will make the final call. I listen to the trainer's advice, but it's how I feel," he said. "I'm just trying to get better. The trainer has helped me to get to a place where I need to be."

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It's debatable whether an injured Gronkowski could still help the Patriots defeat the Giants at less than 100 percent. When he's on the field, he'll undoubtedly draw the most attention, serving as a decoy for teammates Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker.

On the other hand, if No. 87 is unable to plant his left foot and make the cuts in and out of his routes, he'll be ineffective in the passing game and will mainly serve as a blocking TE, putting more pressure on Hernandez and Welker.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing for New England.

Hernandez finished the regular season with a solid 79 receptions, 910 yards and seven touchdowns, while Welker led the league in receptions with 122, adding 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns.

All in all, it appears that No. 87 will be on the field for the Patriots this Sunday in Indianapolis and will surely make his presence felt.

The Patriots aren't worried about Gronkowski; they're leaving that task up to the Giants.