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The Patriots know they will be without the talented 24-year-old for the rest of the season, putting the onus on the collective offense to step up in his place. Will the Patriots stick with their offensive system or overhaul things to account for the big loss?
Most likely, Yates believes, they’ll look very similar to what we’ve seen schematically, with replacements looking to fill in for Gronk.
That means the trio of Matthew Mulligan, Michael Hoomanawanui and D.J. Williams, as well as the receivers and running backs. Fortunately for the Patriots, they have running back Shane Vereen and wide receiver Danny Amendola healthy this time around, as both were bothered by injuries in their last meeting with the Dolphins.
The Patriots' three top receiving options without Gronkowski are Julian Edelman, Vereen and Amendola.
Beyond that, they’ll need a steady combination from some mix of their tight ends and the remaining four wide receivers: Austin Collie and rookies Josh Boyce, Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson.
Boyce is the lone healthy rookie (Dobson and Thomkins were ruled out Saturday night), meaning the Patriots' top four will be rounded out by Collie and Boyce again today.
The development of a dependable fourth receiving option among the receivers and tight ends would go a long way in easing the loss of Gronk.
And what about Stevan Ridley?
He was tied for the team high in carries last Sunday with eight, but he didn’t play until the second quarter, with LeGarrette Blount opening the game. The Patriots are going to need their offense to be at its best without Gronkowski, and Ridley is a talented back who can change the flow for the Patriots when running well.
The ball-security issues are not to be ignored, but he took a step forward in Week 14.