The Patriots offensive line apparently will receive a much-needed boost Thursday night.
Starting center David Andrews told Mark Daniels of MassLive that he expects to play when New England takes on the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. Andrews practiced both Sunday and Monday but was limited due to a thigh injury.
“Good. Ready to go,” Andrews told Daniels on Monday. “Excited for the opportunity and looking forward to it.”
It’s been a while since Andrews played a full game for the Patriots.
The 30-year-old suffered a concussion late in New England’s Week 7 home loss to the Chicago Bears and missed the next two games. Andrews returned after the bye week to face the New York Jets in Week 11, but he exited during the first half with a thigh injury that initially was reported as potentially season-ending.
However, Andrews didn’t miss a practice ahead of last Thursday’s road game against the Minnesota Vikings and eventually was listed as questionable for the Week 12 contest. Andrews made a concerted effort to get back on the field, but was ruled out before kickoff.
“To be out there is what you want to do,” he told Daniels. “It’s what I want. It’s what they pay me to do — to be out there. I want to be out there because that’s where I belong. It’s who I am. I tried to get out there. I tried to go last week. I just couldn’t get it done. Yeah, it was a tough decision to make, but it was what was best.”
The Patriots will hold their final pre-Bills practice Tuesday afternoon. We’ll have a clearer sense of Andrews’ status for Thursday night when New England releases its injury report a few hours later.
