New England Patriots center David Andrews had no objection to coach Jerod Mayo's “white lines.”
The coach was responding to a question about when the blame for mistakes on the field should lie with the players and not the coaches. Mayo pointed out that it was the players' responsibility once they crossed the white lines. He added that it was his job to continue preparing them.
His comments attracted widespread interest on social media. Linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley defended Mayo in one and Andrews did the same in an episode of .
“That’s the truth, though. Coaches can’t play the game. Bill would always say that too. “I can't play the game for you.” I can't do that.' And there’s some truth to that,” Andrews said. “…As a player, there will be points in games where something is no longer required. They will perform a new lightning attack. The offensive gets a new formation. The trainers can prepare you and teach you all the rules or whatever adjustments, but you have to implement them.
“I always thought, I never really went into a game and thought, 'Man, the coaches let us down.' They work hard. They invest so much time, it's really always about us. It’s about the players.”
It might help if the Patriots won football games. However, they are currently 3-9 on the season as Andrews' season-ending injury is part of a difficult year for the organization.
It's been a bumpy road for Mayo as head coach, but when it comes to his post-match comments, two of the most respected players in the locker room have chosen to publicly support him.
