Patriots' Super Bowl Hopes May Hinge on Status of Rob Gronkowski's Knee

The New England Patriots saw their undefeated hopes float away in a snowy Sunday Night Football loss in overtime to the Denver Broncos, but they appeared to lose something—someone, rather—much more critical in the process.

It came late in the fourth quarter with the Patriots trying to ice their 11th win, as star tight end Rob Gronkowski got hit hard and suffered a knee injury that didn't look serious until he began writhing in pain. When the cart came out onto the field and even the rival Denver crowd fell silent, virtually anyone thought the worst for a player who tore an ACL and MCL in the same knee nearly two years ago.

The Patriots went on to lose their lead, tie it up to force overtime and eventually fall 30-24 after a 48-yard run by C.J. Anderson. But all of that was moot for New England considering what happened with two minutes and 53 seconds left in regulation.

All that mattered was the status of Gronkowski—something that will almost certainly decide whether New England will have a serious shot at defending its Super Bowl crown.

It didn't take long for Patriots fans to receive some cause for optimism after the game, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport delivered promising news:

No unit has overcome constant injury depletion like the Patriots offense, and no quarterback has like Tom Brady. But the injuries have piled up at an alarming rate, and a serious one to Gronk would unequivocally be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Brady has emerged from a distraction-filled offseason into the front of the MVP race due in no small part to his ability to continue dominating with an offensive line playing musical chairs and receivers who are far from household names. Central to that effort, though, has been the steady hands of Gronkowski.

Ever since standout running back Dion Lewis tore his ACL in Week 9, though, one domino has fallen every week and now leaves Brady's favorite quartet of targets on the injury report, as ESPN's Ed Werder noted:

Of course, all the Patriots have done in the wake of these injuries is win—until Sunday night, that is. But a closer look at the offense shows a unit that was suffering from its lost parts even before Gronkowski went down late Sunday night.

The Pats needed a miraculous late drive to beat the New York Giants before looking lost offensively throughout a 20-13 slugfest win over the Buffalo Bills last week. With Brady still looking to get the ball out quickly, not having Julian Edelman in as a perennial chain-mover has been a huge loss.

Against a Broncos defense Sunday that the Pats can expect to face again on their road to Super Bowl 50, the lack of dynamic playmaking was on full display. Aside from a 63-yard touchdown by Brandon Bolden, tight ends Gronkowski and Scott Chandler were virtually the only guys making plays for Brady through the air.

Now, the bell cow's status is very much in doubt, and after the game, Brady sounded like a quarterback who knows that, per the NFL:

Brady has done more with less throughout his entire career, especially of late. But will his quick-hitting offense have enough weapons at his disposal to remain effective enough to rummage through the AFC again—much less through the first week of February?

That's a question that is largely dependent upon what news comes out of the MRI room of the Patriots' facility this week.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

At 10-1 and still sitting atop the AFC, there's no doubt that the Patriots will win the AFC East and assume one of the top seeds come playoff time. They may not need to be at full strength once they get there, but Brady certainly needs not just someone to throw to, but others to keep defenses honest.

After Denver head coach Gary Kubiak showed he has a rushing attack—and perhaps most importantly now, a quarterback—who can get it done against them, the Patriots need Brady and Co. to be able to make up for a defense that has shown flashes of greatness along with weakness. And that's a defense that could be without one of its most important players as well, as Dont'a Hightower suffered his own injury Sunday. 

Gronkowski, even when he's not putting up huge numbers, is the Patriots' X-factor in that he draws a considerable amount of attention and opens up room for New England's shifty backs—recently Bolden and James White.

As shown by the Patriots' struggles without him late in 2013 and early in 2014, the offense relies heavily on the openings Gronk allows for and the plays he makes. Aside from Brady, there's unquestionably no other player the Patriots could least afford to lose.

Come January, the Patriots will need Gronkowski back in the fray. If he's not, they can pretty much kiss goodbye any hopes of repeating as Super Bowl champions.