Patriots Country

Patriots' Captain Has Mixed Feelings on Fan Backlash

This New England Patriots captain has some mixed feelings on the backlash the team has suffered since their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Matthew Schmidt

August 8, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots center David Andrews (60) watches from the sideline during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
August 8, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots center David Andrews (60) watches from the sideline during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots were absolutely routed by the Los Angeles Chargers, 40-7, last weekend, resulting in a whole lot of restless fans at Gillette Stadium.

Fans booed and called for Jerod Mayo's job in the midst of the blowout, the latest disappointing effort in what has been an absolutely dreadful season for the Patriots.

During a recent episode of the Quick Snap podcast, New England center and captain David Andrews — who has been sidelined since late September with a shoulder injury — provided his take on the fan backlash, and his feelings were understandably mixed.

"The whole booing thing, do I like it? No," Andrews said. "Do the fans have every right to voice their opinion? Yes. They pay good money to sit in the seats and see good football... Look, I understand fans' frustrations. Is it enjoyable? No, because I've been here when they were behind us, and I'm not saying they're not being us, but you know what I mean."

Andrews entered the NFL with the Pats in 2015 and has been a member of two Super Bowl-winning teams, so he has obviously seen better days.

"You don't want to be booed," Andrews added. "But the only thing that fixes that is winning."

Certainly, no one likes to be castigated, but Patriots fans have become accustomed to seeing great football. New England has won six Super Bowl championships since the turn of the century and has participated in nine Super Bowls, so being one of the league's worst teams is definitely new.

That being said, it was clear as day that the Pats were in rebuilding mode heading into 2024, so the fact that they are 3-13 should not come as too much of a surprise.

But I guess the fans simply don't want to look at the scoreboard and see "40-7" while being on the losing end.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.

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