FOXBORO, Mass. — Patriots center (and captain) David Andrews committed a rare mental error late in Sunday’s 33-21 loss to the Bills.
With 8:31 remaining at Gillette Stadium, New England quarterback Mac Jones scrambled 9 yards to give the Patriots a first down at the Buffalo 14-yard line. After Jones slid to the ground, Bills linebacker Matt Milano dove into the rookie, drawing a penalty for unnecessary roughness that would have given the Patriots the ball near the goal line.
However, after the conclusion of the play, Andrews got into Milano’s face and drew a flag for taunting, causing the penalties to offset. So, New England stayed at Buffalo’s 14-yard line.
The taunting penalty wound up not costing the Patriots as Damien Harris found the end zone two plays later. But it could have cost them and nevertheless was one of many instances of poor discipline by New England on Sunday.
“I have to be better,” Andrews said during his postgame press conference. “Take pride in not trying to hurt the football team, and that hurt the football team. I understand how they’re calling it and I have to be better.”
Head referee Shawn Smith offered his take during an interview with pool reporter Mike Reiss.
“After we had the foul for the dead ball personal foul on the Buffalo defender, we had the situation under control and then the New England player got into the face of the opponent and started yelling,” Smith told Reiss. “So, we had a taunting foul.”
Smith is right. The play was over and everyone had moved on until Andrews entered the picture. Whether such actions should constitute “taunting” is up for debate, but the reality is that officials have called similar penalties all season — and Andrews knows it.
(Smith’s explanation for the controversial non-call on Jerry Hughes is a different story, though.)
The Patriots now are 9-6 and in sixth place in the AFC standings. They’ll host the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday.
