Rob Gronkowski injury update: Will the Buccaneers TE play in Week 5 against the Dolphins?
In Week 3 of the NFL season, Rob Gronkowski and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered more than their first loss of the season against the Los Angeles Rams. It was during that loss that Rob Gronkowski suffered a broken rib, a few cracked ribs, and even a punctured lung.
It was these severe injuries that kept Gronkowski from playing in the much-anticipated matchup against his former team, the New England Patriots.
The question remains whether Gronkowski will suit up against the Miami Dolphins.
Is Gronkowski playing Sunday vs. the Dolphins?
According to NFL analyst Ian Rapoport, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians has made it official that tight end Rob Gronkowski will indeed miss this week's upcoming game vs. the Miami Dolphins.
#Bucs coach Bruce Arians tells reporters that TE Rob Gronkowski won’t play Sunday vs. the #Dolphins. But JPP and CB Jamel Dean will.
Without their star tight end, veteran backup Cameron Brate will slide into the starting position. The Buccaneers are fortunate to have the depth that they do on the offensive side of the football.
Even their third-string tight end, former University of Alabama Crimson Tide standout O.J. Howard, has the talent and ability to start for most, if not all, NFL teams.
What does this mean for the Buccaneers?
Although Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard is more than capable enough to fill in for Gronkowski from a talent perspective. They haven't seen much game-time and certainly don't have the rapport that Brady has with Gronk. However, Brady does have connections with receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown.
Gronkowski's absence takes away the four touchdowns (that lead the team) and 16 receptions that he has provided. During last week's game vs. the New England Patriots, Antonio Brown, upon his return from being placed on the COVID-19 list the week prior, became a major focus of the offense.
During the game's waning moments, when Brady was seeking to put the game out of reach by more than one possession, it was consistent end zone attempts to Brown that displayed Brady's confidence in the former Pittsburgh Steeler.
With Mike Evans handling the bulk of the red zone attempts together with the boundaries, and Chris Godwin running the seams and controlling the chains, Brady's Buccaneers should be fine against the Miami Dolphins coming to town.
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Under head coach Brian Flores, the Miami Dolphins have recently resembled a team that fights to the finish. Despite their 1-3 record, they are always one or two moves away from making a game-changing play.
With cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, the Buccaneers cannot afford to be clumsy with the football. Perhaps Brady will look to avoid them, which would give Brate and Howard more touches across the middle of the field.