Gronk Spikes His Way Out: Can the Patriots Keep Their Eyes on the Prize?

The New England Patriots are firing on all cylinders, boasting a laughably long seven-game winning streak heading into Week 11. Never mind any controversy between the Patriots and Jets this week. The biggest story in Patriots Land right now is one that will bring a smile to all Patriots fans: it's Rob Gronkowski coming home. Gronk is signing his one-day contract with New England on Wednesday, November 13, a day before the Pats host a struggling Jets team, so he can officially retire a Patriot.

You have your Pats, now 7-2 and finally on their way to legitimacy in Super Bowl contention, and then you have your pathetic Jets with only 1-7 on their record. The difference between these teams is obvious when looking at the spread, with New England stacked at 11 ½ points. Hell, that is not a spread, that is rubbing it in. That spread is saying, "We guarantee it's going to be a rout.”

But here’s the thing: after seven straight wins, the team is beat up. The win against the Buccaneers on Sunday was a physical toll, and while the team hasn’t released a definitive laundry list of new injuries, seven weeks of brutal football always comes with wear and tear. They need to put in serious prep time this week, focusing on fixing the run defense that looked shaky late in the Bucs game.

Instead, they get "Gronk Day."

Coach Mike Vrabel, who will go down in history as the man who saved the Pats, has to manage the emotional high of the greatest tight end ever getting his official goodbye ceremony two days before kickoff. Does the fanfare, the media circus, the inevitable former teammates showing up, bleed into the team meetings? It absolutely could. Stefon Diggs is having a career year, and the offense is dynamic, but they cannot afford to overlook a Jets defense that, despite their record, can still create chaos.

This is a classic trap game scenario. A gigantic spread, a huge emotional off-field moment, and a division opponent who has nothing left to lose. New England needs to forget about the Gronk farewell party until Thursday morning and just stick to the script. If they take the Jets lightly, or if those minor injuries from Sunday start nagging, that 11.5-point spread could disappear faster than an iced tea at a tailgate.