The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... Per a league source, Gronkowski will play today despite a high ankle sprain suffered against the Ravens in the AFC title game.

Diehards Line:Have we heard that somewhere before? Yes. And we'll continue to hear it throughout the day as the team prepares to take on the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. We're not going to try to keep up with the blow by blow because the hype machine is rolling at a furious pace. We'll go ahead and note that ESPN's Ed Werder reported that Patriots' sources claim Gronkowski ran at full speed this week. We'll also note the Giants intend to "test" the ankle (meaning Gronkowski is likely to see a lot of tacklers coming in low). So the real question will continue to be not whether he starts the game, but how he plays. How effective can he be? Also worth some thought is the lengthier than usual halftime break. It could be an issue. ... Whatever the case, we'll report back with any truly pertinent news as needed. We'll certainly have his official game status when the official inactive lists are released approximately 90 minutes before kickoff.