It’s no secret that the New England Patriots offense has struggled this preseason as the team attempts to replace former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who left the team to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following the 2021-22 season.
Head coach Bill Belichick hired in former NFL head coaches Matt Patricia of the Detroit Lions and Joe Judge of the New York Giants to help with the offensive transition. But with less than a month before the start of the season, he still has not named either one of them the team’s official offensive coordinator or play-caller.
Patricia, Judge and Belichick have all been collaborating to run the offense and call plays in what is a rather unorthodox arrangement.
“Honesty it’s just collaborative,” Patricia said, according to WEEI. “We follow Coach Belichick’s lead. I’m just trying to do my job to my best ability, whatever he asks me to do…we’re all just working together right now which is the great part about it.
Belichick’s reluctance to name an offensive coordinator or play-caller had many believing that Patricia and Judge were competing during the offseason to earn play-calling duties. But Patricia insists that is not the case.
“No,” Patricia said. “We’re just 100 percent trying to make sure we do everything possible as coaches to allow our players to go and do everything they can on the field. That’s the important part, not the rest of it.”
Regardless of who is calling the offense, the Patriots are running out of time to figure out their offense before they open the season against the Miami Dolphins.
[WEEI]