The Patriots are trying a little old-school accountability to clean up a problem that keeps biting them on defense.
New England defensive tackle Milton Williams said Friday in Germany that teammates who jump offsides against the Detroit Lions on Sunday will owe $1,000. The Patriots have been leaking penalties all season, and the issue has been especially glaring lately.
Last week against the Green Bay Packers, New England was flagged five times for 31 yards in the loss at Gillette Stadium. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that the Patriots defense has been hit with seven offsides or encroachment penalties over the past two games.
Williams said the team has spent the week working to fix the mistakes, but he wanted a sharper consequence attached to the repeated lapses.
"I put in fines this week," Williams said. "$1,000 fine to whoever jumps offside."
He added that the goal is to make the cost of the penalty feel real.
"It's not enough, you know, consequences that come with it other than hurting the team," Williams said. "So, hurt your pockets, make you think about it a little more."
Safety Craig Woodson said he was only hearing about the fines on Friday, but he backed the idea.
"That’s something that we got to make sure - we can’t give them free yards," Woodson said. "For him to do that, that’s a leader."
Williams also said he had not decided where the money would go, saying, "probably to the trainers or the custodians in the building."
The Patriots and Lions kick off at 9:30 a.m. Sunday in Munich.
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