Danny Amendola, Rob Gronkowski in full pads
New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola (80) catches a pass against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Patriots beat the Bills 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola has a shot at playing in the Patriots big Week 4 Sunday Night Football game against the Atlanta Falcons, because he didn’t need surgery for a sports hernia or a partially torn adductor (Yahoo! Sports reported that it was actually a good thing he completely tore that muscle). Amendola is one of the toughest players in the game, and that alone is a case for him being able to play in a big game against the Falcons. While he may be injury-prone, there is no questioning his toughness, and I think everyone who saw his final drive against the Buffalo Bills knows that.
Some more great news on the Danny Amendola injury front, as ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss tweets that both Amendola and Rob Gronkowski are practicing in full pads today. The news that Gronk is in full pads is not a surprise at all, since he’s been practicing in full pads before. I am almost certain that Gronkowski will be able to play, since Week 3 was listed as his timeline during August, and there is almost no way that Gronk misses a big game against Atlanta.
Amendola’s status for Week 4 is dicier, and he probably won’t end up playing. However, the fact that he is practicing in full pads today shows that not only does Amendola have a shot, he might also end up being a game-time decision. He’s making quick progress, and Amendola has a penchant for returning sooner than expected from injuries, and it happens about as frequently as he gets injured.
Bill Belichick will never give an injury update that is truly of note, and that’s a wise move since he’s not required to give us anything. That said, the Boston Globe’s Shalise Manza Young tweeted out that Bill Belichick stated Gronkowski has “definitely” been making progress. Most likely just coach speak there, but it’s also logical. I mean, Gronk’s been practicing for a couple of weeks now without playing, and the Patriots were likely just giving him extra rest to save him up for this week’s huge game.
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