| The cereal that America was clamoring for -- Gronk Flakes -- is finally here. (PLB Sports) |
Kellen Winslow couldn't hide from his true feelings when asked for his initial thoughts on the Patriots' playbook.
He paused, allowed his eyes to grow wide, and responded by saying, "It's ... a lot."
But if his eyes haven't popped out of his head by then, the tight end could contribute Sunday night against the Ravens. He's said to be picking things up at a rapid pace, and coach Bill Belichick is holding out hope that he can help fill in for the injured Aaron Hernandez (ankle).
"He's a pretty experience guy, he's smart, he's [played] a lot of football," Belichick said. "We'll see how it goes, but I think there's a chance that he could help us."
Belichick said the trick has been deciding how much to throw at Winslow. The New England playbook is overwhelming in size and pages, but only a small percentage of those plays are used each week.
To help Winslow along, the Patriots only asked him to learn what he needs to know for Sunday and to catch up on everything else later on.
"We try to prioritize what the person needs as a foundation and what the person needs to go out and be able to play in the game in the role that we would ask him to play in," Belichick said. "Next week, we'd probably go back and add in some other things. And whatever the new game plan is, make sure we cover that and accumulate it that way rather than try to teach the entire book in one sitting."
Big fines: LB Jerod Mayo and S Steve Gregory have been fined by the NFL for a pair of illegal hits during Sunday's 20-18 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Mayo was fined $21,000 for hitting wide receiver Early Doucet in the head and neck area. Gregory, meanwhile, was fined $7,875 for a late hit on tight end Todd Heap. The play was penalized during the game.
Gronk gets his own cereal: TE Rob Gronkowski has been given his own cereal, "Gronk Flakes." The cereal (pictured above) will hit shelves at Stop & Shop stores in the New England region and be available online at plbsports.com. Some proceeds benefit the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation.
Injury report: The Patriots have ruled Hernandez out for Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens with an ankle injury. Several other players are listed as questionable.
The list is as follows:
Out: DL Justin Francis (ankle), TE Aaron Hernandez (ankle). Questionable: OL Dan Connolly (concussion), OL Sebastian Vollmer (back), OL Logan Mankins (hip), OL Nick McDonald (shoulder), DL Brandon Deaderick (ankle), CB Alfonzo Dennard (hamstring) CBSterling Moore (knee), TE Daniel Fells (shin), WR Brandon Lloyd (thigh), RB Shane Vereen (foot). Probable: Safety Patrick Chung (shoulder).
Nick Underhill covers the Patriots for MassLive.com. Follow him on Twitter @CBSPats or@nick_underhill.