The New England Patriots haven't the 2018 NFL season in a manner which everyone expected them to. Some people have pinned the blame on one of their star players, Rob Gronkowski.

The tight end hasn’t had the best of starts to the new season for the Patriots, despite being the leading receiver for the team.

As a result, he has been criticized. One piece of criticism that has come his way is that he’s lacking in quickness on the field.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, however, has come out defending the five-time Pro Bowler during an interview with WEEI’s Ordway, Merloni & Fauria Show, via Sam Quinn of 247 Sports.

He said: “I don’t know, that is a hard question. You know how it is week-to-week. Sometimes you feel a little better one week than others.

"Overall, he has been a pretty effective player for us this year and has been able to make plays down the field. He has been able to make plays in the intermediate zones. He’s had a couple catch-and-run plays, so I think he’s still been pretty effective.”

Despite Belichick's defense, Gronk's injured ankle is taking its toll on the player, as he missed the team's walkthrough practice on Tuesday ahead of their game against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night.

If he was to miss the game, Dwayne Allen would likely take his place at tight end, but it's fair to say they're nowhere near the same player despite the criticism Gronk is currently receiving.

The 29-year-old currently leads the team in receiving yards with 233 and is second in receptions with 17. However, he only has one touchdown on the season after four games.

At the moment, Gronk is on pace for 68 receptions for 932 receiving yards and four touchdowns, which would be one of the worst seasons of his career, so he must find a way to improve.

If he was to miss Thursday night's game against the Colts, he would have a mini bye week to recover from his ankle injury before the team plays against the Kansas City Chiefs.