According to Albert Breer of NFL Network, there is a "very good chance" that tight end Rob Gronkowski will be on the field for this week's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
Gronk, if he does return, is coming at just the right time. The Falcons are no joke, and playing in the incredibly loud Georgia Dome on Sunday night in front of 70,000 screaming fans is no easy feat. This will be the first really hostile road game for the crop of young rookies, and Atlanta isn't the kind of place where field goals in the red zone will lead to victory. The Patriots currently sit at dead last in the league in Red Zone efficiency, and unless they can right that ship on Sunday, they may very well be staring down the barrel of their first loss of the season. Having Tommy B's favorite Red Zone target back on the field is certianly a step in the right direction.
Obviously, nobody knows for sure what Gronk's status will be, and likely won't until the game actually starts; the only thing more carefully guarded than the New England injury report is the combination to the lock on the ice cream freezer at the fat camp my parents tried to send me to in 4th grade. Still, that we're even having this conversation is a good sign.