We're not going to see the New England Patriots' offense in all its glory until Aaron Hernandez is back on the field. That's no lock for Sunday's showdown with the Denver Broncos.
Breer: The men behind the rivalry
Tom Brady-Peyton Manning is the NFL's version of Magic-Bird. Albert Breer spoke with the fathers of both quarterbacks. **More ...**
The Patriots listed their tight end as questionable with the low ankle sprain and high ankle damage he suffered back in Week 2. NFL.com and NFL Network's Albert Breer reported Thursday that Hernandez is all but certain to miss Sunday's game, but might be back for the team's Week 6 meeting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Bill Belichick is notoriously covert with injury scenarios. Comcast SportsNet reported this week that Hernandez is "very close" to playing in a game, but that doesn't give us a definitive answer.
Hernandez is perhaps the team's most versatile weapon -- even with Rob Gronkowski on the roster -- because he grades high as a blocker and pass catcher, and was being used liberally out of the backfield in last season's playoffs. This offense isn't the same without him (even if they did just rain 52 points on a stunned Buffalo Bills outfit left to pick up the pieces).
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.