It was a relatively quiet offseason for the Patriots offense personnel wise. The much larger focus has been on the coaching staff. Longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left the Patriots to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. With McDaniels gone, the biggest question of the offseason still remains as training camp approaches: Who will be calling the Patriots offense this fall?
Senior Football Advisor Matt Patricia
Two internal candidates have emerged as likely candidates. Matt Patricia has returned after a disappointing three-year stint as head coach of the Detroit Lions. Before taking the job in Detroit, Patricia spent 13 years on the Patriots staff. He was the teams’ defensive coordinator from 2012-2017. Patricia hasn’t officially worked on the offensive side of the ball since 2005, when he was an assistant offensive line coach.
Offensive Assistant Coach Joe Judge
The other option appears to be Patriots offensive assistant coach Joe Judge. Like Patricia, Judge is making his return to New England after two seasons as the New York Giants head coach. Previously, Judge worked on with, and eventually coordinated, the Patriots special teams unit and also coached the wide receivers in 2019.
The Patriots offense is in a delicate position with 2nd year quarterback Mac Jones transitioning to a new playcaller. While Jones’ impressive rookie season leaves many fans optimistic despite the coaching staff concerns, one former Patriots Super Bowl champion isn’t too sure.
Speaking with ESPN’s Mike Reiss, former Patriots defensive back Jason McCourty voiced his concerns about the direction of the Patriots offense:
“You’ll never hear anybody [on the team] say anything in the media … but it’s definitely going to be a big thing. It has to be,” McCourty said during his recent guest-hosting appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” show. “If you’re Mac Jones … who’s the guy you go to and say, ‘I want to run these plays this week’?”
Only time will tell whether Judge, Patricia, or some combination of the two shoulders the responsibility of offensive playcalling. Regardless, Mac Jones showed plenty of promise in his rookie season to believe that he’s ready to take on a much larger role in 2022.
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