New England Patriots: David Andrews will be missed in Week 11

In Week 11, the New England Patriots will be without a key member of their offensive line, as David Andrews will be unable to play due to an illness.

On Friday, the New England Patriots announced that center David Andrews would be out against the Oakland Raiders due to an illness.

Early on in the season, the Patriots had some struggles along their offensive line. As one of the best units in the NFL last season, it was shocking to see how often Brady was getting hit to start the season.

Recently, the Patriots’ offensive line has been much better, and the Patriots have been able to win five straight games. However, the offensive line now might have some issues. Last week, right tackle Marcus Cannon was unable to suit up, and this week he and David Andrews will be out as well.

Andrews has been arguably the best player on the Patriots’ offensive line this season, and his absence will certainly be felt. As one of the top centers in the league this season, Andrews has helped both the running and passing game.

The most likely candidate to replace Andrew will be Ted Karras. Recently, Bill Belichick spoke with Mike Reiss of ESPN.com about Karras.

"“Ted works hard, he loves football,” coach Bill Belichick said to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com when asked about Karras’ development. “He gets there early. He stays late.”"

Even though the Raiders’ defense is not one that has been great this season, they do have an elite pass rusher in Kahlil Mack. Being down two starters on the offensive line is a hard thing to overcome, especially when it is two of the best linemen on the team.

With two starting offensive linemen out, expect to see Tom Brady and the offense likely feature a lot of quick passes. With a lot of capable running backs that can catch the ball out of the backfield, the Patriots can certainly be effective getting rid of the ball quickly.

Next: 3 Bold Predictions for Week 11

Luckily for the Patriots, Andrews isn’t hurt, but rather just out with an illness. For the Patriots, getting a week in Week 11 is important to keep pace with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC.