Why Patriots Captain Saluted O-Lineman After Eagles Game

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Calvin Anderson's performance Sunday wasn't the New England Patriots' best. But it might have been the grittiest.

After missing all of training camp and the preseason with what he called a "serious" illness, Anderson played every offensive snap at right tackle against the NFL's best defensive front in a 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium.

That effort earned Anderson, who signed with the Patriots in March, a personal postgame shoutout from veteran center and team co-captain David Andrews.

"I definitely made sure to let him know how much I appreciated his effort," Andrews said before Wednesday's practice. "Because that's tough. Obviously, (he's) a veteran player to some extent, but it's really hard missing training camp. You need a training camp in a new system, so I really appreciated his effort.

"It says a lot (about) his work ethic to get back out there and go wire to wire like he did Sunday for us."

Anderson credited Patriots strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera and position coaches Adrian Klemm and Billy Yates for getting him ready to play after such a long layoff.

"I didn't want to be off the field," Anderson said. "My guys are playing. We've got a room that's worth fighting for, so it was good to be out there."

Anderson wasn't playing his primary position, either. The 27-year-old has experience at right tackle, but the vast majority of his NFL snaps have come on the left side. Sunday's game was his first start at right tackle since 2020.

And performance-wise, he struggled at times. He surrendered five pressures and one quarterback hit against the Eagles, per Pro Football Focus, and had a costly holding penalty that negated a successful two-point conversion.

As a whole, though, the Patriots' O-line held up better than expected. Despite starting rookies at both guard spots, they didn't allow a sack until the final three minutes and surrendered just two total against a Philly team that averaged more than twice that last season.

"I think Calvin’s doing the best he can," head coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday. "He’s dealt with some things this summer, but I think that’s all in the past now. He’s moved forward. He’s worked hard, and I’m sure he’ll do the best he can to be ready to go."