The New England Patriots couldn't afford to lose many more players entering Sunday's game. But that's exactly what happened against the Denver Broncos.

The Patriots and their fans saw a potential nightmare scenario unfold late in the fourth quarter when Rob Gronkowski went up for a Tom Brady pass. Broncos safety Darian Stewart knifed in to deliver a shot directly to Gronkowski's knee that left the Patriots tight end writhing on the turf in pain.

Here's a slow-motion look at the play, which shows Gronk's knee whipping in an ugly direction:

Gronkowski couldn't put any weight on the knee and was carted to the locker room. The Patriots ruled him out of the game shortly after.