The defending champion New England Patriots were dealt a significant blow on Saturday when it was revealed that center David Andrews would miss the entire 2019 season after being placed on injured reserve.
Andrews was hospitalized last week due to the formation of blood clots in his lungs, making the decision to sideline the veteran captain rather obvious.
While the Patriots are wishing the best for Andrews off the field, ESPN NFL analyst Damien Woody told Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald that Andrews' absence could have a big impact on quarterback Tom Brady:
“The chemistry that David Andrews and Tom has had is pretty substantial,” said Woody. “Any time you take a beast like Andrews out of the offense and plug in a new guy, there’s going to be an adjustment. The offensive line is one of the most delicate positions in football, because the whole objective is to get five guys to play as one. And one of the reasons why the Patriots have been so successful up front, is they’ve had some continuity, particularly with their interior.”
Andrews has been New England's starting center since 2016, and he has become a key cog in an offensive line that had been ranked as the sixth-best in football entering 2019, according to Pro Football Focus.
Individually, PFF labeled Andrews as the highest-graded center in the AFC East for the 2019 season:
2018's highest-graded centers from the AFC East pic.twitter.com/btviEemTd5
— PFF (@PFF) February 11, 2019
Of course, New England's ability to protect Brady while also carving out running lanes for Sony Michel and James White was an imperative reason for their offensive success in 2018.
The Patriots will hope that Ted Karras can establish some chemistry with Brady as the backup center.
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