Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski out indefinitely

Rob Gronkowski suffered a bone bruise and sprain of his right knee during the New England Patriots’ 30-24 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.

The tight end will be evaluated on a weekly basis and there is no timetable for his return.

“During Sunday night’s game, Rob Gronkowski sustained a bone bruise/sprain of his right knee,” the Patriots and the Gronkowski family said in a joint statement.

“His status will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis and listed accordingly on the practice participation and injury reports.”

Gronkowski was carted off the field with 2:49 remaining in Sunday’s game after taking a hit to the knee. The Patriots (10-1) led 21-17 at the time, but went on to lose their first game of the season.

Prior to his injury, Gronkowski had six catches for 88 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady with 11:24 left in the first quarter.

Gronkowski has 57 catches for 931 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games this season.

Referee crew reassigned

The NFL has moved referee Pete Morelli’s crew off the upcoming Sunday night game between Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.

Instead, the crew will work an afternoon game between the Eagles and Patriots.

Morelli’s group was heavily criticized by both sides after the 49ers-Cardinals game Sunday. Arizona coach Bruce Arians said the officials “can’t count to three.”

There were a combined 20 penalties in the game. During Arizona’s first series of the second half, San Francisco committed five penalties, including four pass interferences and an illegal hands to the face, as the Cardinals reached the end zone on their way to a 19-13 win.

The 49ers were flagged 13 times for 81 yards, including a costly roughing-the-passer flag during the winning drive.

“I’m not really too worried about getting fined, I thought those refs (stunk),” 49ers left guard Alex Boone said in the locker room Sunday.

Josh McCown out for season

Browns quarterback Josh McCown broke his collarbone in Monday night’s last-second loss to Baltimore, an injury that will cost him the final five games this season and re-open more quarterback chaos in Cleveland.

With the Browns in a short week before facing Cincinnati, coach Mike Pettine still hasn’t decided if he’ll re-insert Johnny Manziel, recently benched for off-field antics, into the starting lineup or stick with Austin Davis, who replaced an injured McCown in the fourth quarter.

Also, quarterback-turned-wide receiver Terrelle Pryor has agreed to sign with Cleveland for the remainder of the season, a person familiar with the decision told the AP.

Around the league

Arizona has placed Chris Johnson on the injured reserve/designated to return list, a move that means the only way the running back will play again this season is if the Cardinals reach the Super Bowl. Johnson chipped or fractured his tibia where it meets his left knee in Sunday’s win over San Francisco. … Ben Roethlisberger is blaming his early exit from last Sunday’s loss to Seattle on a headache. Mike Tomlin says his franchise quarterback has a concussion. Either way, the Pittsburgh star will remain under the NFL-mandated concussion protocol this week as Pittsburgh prepares to face Indianapolis. So will linebacker Ryan Shazier, who left in the second quarter of the 39-30 defeat with symptoms.