If Matthew Slater's comments are any indication, the New England Patriots are pretty upset with the blindside hit starting center David Andrews took in Monday night's 33-14 loss to the Chicago Bears.
During an interception return in the fourth quarter, Bears defensive lineman Mike Pennel delivered an unnecessary and hard hit that Andrews couldn't have seen coming. Andrews' head appeared to bang off the ground as a result, and the team later announced he was being evaluated for a head injury. Pennel was penalized and ejected from the game.
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In an interview with WEEI's "Mut and Night" show on Tuesday, Slater had some harsh criticism of the hit.
"I think the league is making an effort to get those hits out of the game," Slater said. "I think that was an extremely dirty play last night. My concern is with the health and well being of David. I just hate to see any teammate down on the field like that having to go through that. It’s a tough situation.
"The league is going to do what they need to do, hopefully they handle the situation the right way, with class and with order, but there’s really no place in our game for hits like that or plays like that."
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Pennel actually was a member of the Patriots for a little while. He signed with the team as a free agent in March of 2019 but was released later that August before the regular season began.
"I think he knows that (he can’t do that). Mike played here," Slater said. "He knows how to play the game the right way, he’s been playing this game for a long time, he knows what’s right and what’s wrong. I can’t go force the way I feel about something or my view on anyone else. Those are decisions that players make on the field that they have to live with. I can’t be overly concerned with going out there and policing that sort of thing."
Andrews reportedly is in the concussion protocol, which makes his status for Sunday's road game against the New York Jets uncertain. We'll learn a little more when the first Week 8 injury report is released late Wednesday afternoon.