Bill Belichick provides latest update on Patriots offensive play caller
New England Patriots fans were seemed more than pleased with the instant success from former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones last season, but there are major questions heading into 2022 when it comes to the new franchise QB taking the next leap.
While there were timid expectations once it was clear Cam Newton wasn’t the answer and Mac Jones — The 15th overall pick of the 2021 draft — came in and played well, it quickly appeared the Pats had found their future franchise passer
In a critical second NFL season and a franchise with plenty of talent accustomed to winning, the former Alabama passer will have major change in 2022 and according to Belichick, there isn’t an official offensive coordinator on the staff.
In a recent press conference, the longtime NFL head coach role reporters there hasn’t been a plan established to fill the void for McDaniels, who has a track record of mentoring young QBs and was Jones’ OC last year. While the team missed the playoff, the former Crimson Tide became a major revaluation for the NFL world and was a finalist for 2021 NFL offensive Rookie of the Year.
. With McDaniel gone in Las Vegas prepping for 2022 as the Radiers; new head coach, Belichick was officially asked — with training camp starting in just over a month, the Patriots’ was asked if there was a plan to take over play calling.
“What plays are we calling? Minicamp plays?” Belichick said, scoffing. “We’re going to coach the team, coach the players, get them ready to go. We’re going to game plan when we have to game plan, play calls, do all the things we need to do to compete in games. Right now, we’re months away from that.”
Mac Jones on Joe Judge, New England Patriots new staff
Jones completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as a rookie.
On paper, the Pats finished in the bottom half of the league in most major passing statistics that equate to winning like yardage per game and scoring through the air. It felt like McDaniels was purposefully taking the pressure off the rookie by leaning heavy on simple concepts, high percentage throws and a high-dose of the running game to compliment a stout defense.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has created plenty of mystery as to who will replace Josh McDaniels as New England’s offensive play-caller.
But Joe Judge — the former New York Giants front man with a background in working with QBs but was scolded in the Big Apple for failing to find a way for Daniel Jones to thrive — confirmed last week that he’s working with the quarterbacks, which means Judge is largely responsible for continuing Mac Jones‘ progression from the quarterback’s first season.
Still, Judge was hired with the title of “offensive assistant” but has already made it public he will be working with Jones and the signal callers at the very least.
Jones spoke to the media on Monday, following the team’s first OTA practice and had some positive things to say about his new position coach. While Belichick won’t say it yet — and even made a point to reveal he himself as been the play caller at various points during his career leading the highly-successful NFL franchise.
“He’s done a great job coaching us. He’s seen a lot of football. Obviously, he’s been around football for a long time, whether that’s as a head coach, special teams, playing the position himself, so he has knowledge that is very beneficial to me as a quarterback,” Jones said, via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. “Obviously, I’m going to learn with him. The goal is to kind of teach each other, move along, and take what he knows, take the experiences that I have, and combine them, and work together as a great team.”
Many NFL experts directly equate the success of a young QB to the staff, culture and chemistry in their first year or two as a professional, so with no official offensive coordinator on the 2022 staff, it felt like a logical question — but Belichick has always kept things close to the vest — so only the chosen few inside of the facility truly know the plan.
Ultimately, the New England front man has won a lot of Super Bowls so it’s difficult to truly believe he hasn’t solidified a plan for a pivotal second season for Mac Jones.
Instead, the Pats’ coach alluded there will be several major moves and changes between now and the end of training camp at all positions and on the staff as well, he continued to keep his responses vague.
“There’s a lot of jobs that we have to do and we’re all working on those things,” Belichick said in his press conference. “Now, it’s May. They’ll change in June. They’ll change in August. They’ll change in September. So, we’ll evolve and do the things timely that we need to do.
“Now, if you’re asking about game plans, we’re months away from that — months.”
The longtime successful NFL front man admitted a play-caller would need a certain period of time to get ready for the season. Though he wouldn’t say when that would start, it doesn’t seem to be late May.
Either way, Belichick isn’t saying when the team will either officially or unofficially have an offensive play-caller for 2022.
“When we get to it, we’ll get to it,” Belichick said.
No matter who is calling the offensive plays, the New England Patriots will need Jones to be better in 2022 to make a deeper postseason run.