New England’s starting center has had an active hand in getting the young quarterback ready.
The New England Patriots changing starting quarterbacks to go from Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe has had a far-reaching impact across the team’s offense. One of the players most directly impacted is center David Andrews, who now has to develop a chemistry with a comparatively unfamiliar player.
Unfamiliarity is a key word when it comes to switching to Zappe. The second-year man entered the 2023 season with only two career starts under his belt and spent the better part of his career working as a backup behind Jones.
Now the main man, he needs to adapt quickly. Having as experienced a player as Andrews lining up in front of him helps with that, as Zappe explained on Wednesday.
“He’s been in the league for [nine] years now. He’s seen everything that you could possibly see as far as fronts, as far as pressures,” Zappe said. “There’s always things that I go up and ask him, ‘Hey, what are you looking for? If it’s over front, under front, diamond front, what things are you kind of looking at’? So, just always picking his brain. Always learning the whole aspect of what the defense is trying to do against us.”
As opposed to Zappe, Andrews brings considerable starting experience to the table. Since arriving in New England as an undrafted rookie in 2015, he has been part of the team’s starting lineup a combined 123 times — including in three Super Bowls.
The 31-year-old has not only been a mainstay for the team on the field, but off it as well. Now in his seventh season as a captain, Andrews is one of the few “holdovers” from the dynasty-era Patriots and as such tasked with getting the next generation of players up to speed, including Bailey Zappe.
“It’s awesome to pick his brain,” Zappe added. “I know he’s learned from other guys as far as Dante Scarnecchia and Tom [Brady] and all those guys. There’s things that he’s learned that I’ve never been taught. So, just always picking his brain and just kind of seeing how he sees things and just trying to see the whole aspect of what the defense is trying to do against our offense. …
“He’s been here for a while. He’s won a lot. For me as a young guy, I want to do everything I can to help the team win as a whole and not let everybody down. That’s my goal, to do my job and go in there and try to help us win games.”
The admiration between Zappe and Andrews goes both ways, as the veteran lineman pointed out following last week’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Always respected the way he comes in and prepares each week, especially not knowing what it might be for him,” Andrews briefly said during his postgame presser.
What the longer-term future holds for him and his new QB is up in the air. For the rest of the 2023 season, however, it seems like a safe bet that the two will continue working together — Zappe as the understudy, and Andrews as the grizzled veteran taking him under his wings.