Giants vs. Patriots Predictions: Rob Gronkowski's Ankle Will Cripple New England

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski has been the most talked about player leading up to Super Bowl XLVI. His ankle injury has taken on a life of its own over the last two weeks, but now there is nothing left for him to do except get on the field and show what he is capable of. 

The problem with this whole thing is that the kind of injury Gronkowski suffered is not one that you can just power through to be the player that we are used to. 

In fact, his ankle is going to cause him so many problems against the New York Giants that it is going to have a ripple effect that will be felt throughout the Patriots offense in the Super Bowl. 

He was seen walking without a limp prior to the team's photo on Saturday, so there is obvious progress being made. But it is one thing to be walking around, and something else entirely when you are on a football field, making cuts with 300-pound players going after your ankle like it's a piece of treasured gold. 

The Patriots are stacked with playmakers, so it is would take something catastrophic for them to just fall apart. But Gronkowski is actually the locomotive that helped everything else move along. 

As great as Tom Brady is, Gronkowski has turned into his safety net. He is also the best big-play threat this team has. He finished second on the team with 90 receptions, 32 behind Wes Welker, but his 14.7 yards per catch was the highest among the team's four primary pass-catchers. 

In addition to that total, he also set an NFL record for tight ends with 17 touchdown catches. He is the one player that other teams specifically game plan to stop in order to contain the offense. 

Yet here he is, having used a walking boot for the better part of a week and only participating in practice on a limited basis. 

He is not going to be the X-factor that we have gotten accustomed to seeing, and the Patriots are going to be scrambling to replace his production. 

That is a dangerous combination going against the fierce pass rush of the Giants. Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora are going to have a field day on Brady if he can't get the ball to Gronkowski. 

No one is going to use this injury as an excuse if the Patriots lose, but it would have been interesting to see how the Giants defense stacks up against this offense with a healthy Gronkowski.

As it is, they will have to settle for being crowned champions for the second time in four years, because New England is doomed. 

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