New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is expected to play against the New York Jets on Sunday despite missing Friday's with an illness, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

Brady also appeared on the injury report with a knee injury, but Patriots fans have nothing to worry about. The 41-year-old hasn't missed a game due to injury since the 2008 season, when he suffered an ACL tear in Week 1 that forced him to miss the year.

The Patriots (7-3), will also get tight end Rob Gronkowski back, per Reiss. He missed the team's last two games due to various injuries. It'll be the first time since Week 8 where the Pats have the Brady-Gronk tandem on the field together.

New England's offense has sputtered in recent weeks, due to Brady's off play and the absent of a big-time playmaker in Gronkowski. But a road contest vs. the lowly Jets (3-7), gives the Patriots a primary opportunity to get right back on track.

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Right now, the Kansas City Chiefs (9-2), and Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2-1), are holding the first-round byes in the AFC. The Patriots will need Gronk and Brady to be at their best over the final six games, as they look to reach a third consecutive Super Bowl.

What This Means

Both Brady and Gronkowski have performed below expectations this season. The former is starting to show his age a bit (he's middle of the pack in most quarterback stats), while Gronkowski has been hampered by injuries.

The Patriots will only go as far as Brady can take them. They simply have to hope that the last few games aren't an indication that father time is catching up. If that's the case, then it's going to be hard for Gronkowski and the New England offense to find its groove.

We'll see how this dynamic duo plays when they return to the field together for the first time in nearly a month.

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