Gronk gets a tonking

NEW ENGLAND Patriots are sweating on the fitness of superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski after their unbeaten start to the season ended at Denver.

The Super Bowl champs lost for their first time in 11 games – 30-24 to the Broncos – leaving the Carolina Panthers as the only perfect 11-0 team.

More worrying was the loss of ‘Gronk’, who added to the growing Patriots injury list when he twisted his knee in a low tackle from Darian Stewart.

Quarterback Tom Brady said: “I hate to see it but it’s really the only way for defenders to hit now.

“I bet if you ask a bunch of players, they’d rather you go high than low.

“When you go low that’s what happens. I don’t think it’s dirty. It’s the way football’s being played.”

Gronkowski is so important to the Pats that the club even issued a statement yesterday.

It read: “There is no timetable for his readiness to return, which will be determined in the days or hours prior to the game.

“Any timetable reported prior to that determination would be speculative.”

But as New England gear up for this weekend’s home clash with the slumping Philadelphia Eagles, Gronk’s fitness will be a major issue. The Panthers have emerged as Super Bowl favourites and visit the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Carolina’s latest win, 33-14 at the Cowboys, not only continued their hot streak but also ended Dallas’ season, especially when quarterback Tony Romo again injured the collar bone he broke earlier in the campaign.

The other big game this weekend is a rare New York derby which sees the Jets “visit” the Giants, even though the two teams share the MetLife Stadium.

The two teams play in different Conferences and meet only once every four years. The Giants have won the last five meetings between the clubs.