We’ve watched the Patriots in underwhelming fashion for three straight seasons now, and one thing became clear by the end of this year’s season. Bill Belichick failed Mac Jones this year.
On March 17, 2020, when Tom Brady announced his departure from the Patriots, many wondered what was next. There was no clear replacement at quarterback, and the Patriots’ roster construction was depleted by poor drafting and failed signings.
The Patriots finished the 2020 season with a 7-9 record, and Bill Belichick watched the playoffs from his couch. That offseason, the Patriots took the first step towards rebuilding by using the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft on Alabama QB Mac Jones.
The 2021 season was a step forward with a young QB and big money dished out to multiple free agents. In the NFL’s first 17-game season, the Patriots finished 10-7 before losing in embarrassing fashion to their division rival Buffalo Bills. Following the season, long-time offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Belichick’s Failures
Bill Belichick ultimately decided to replace McDaniels with two friends and coaches that had no real offensive coaching experience. Joe Judge, the former Patriots special teams coordinator, and NY Giants head coach, took on the duties of QB coach. Judge also spent the 2019 season as the Patriots WR coach, where an unidentified WR said, “you don’t know what you’re talking about,” during a mid-season practice blow-up, according to NBC’s Sports Boston Tom E. Curran. Judge was hired that offseason as the Giants’ head coach, where he went a combined 10-23, and the offense ranked 31st in points, and yards gained. Despite that, Belichick found it fit to put Judge in the ear of Mac Jones on the daily.
Next up, Matt Patricia was in New England from 2004-2017 in a variety of roles. Early on, he spent two seasons on the offensive side but quickly switched to defense, where he spent the next decade. In 2018, Patricia was hired as the Lions’ head coach, where he compiled a 13-29 record before being fired midway through his third season and returning to New England soon after. Belichick chose to put someone with borderline zero direct offensive experience in charge of a second-year Mac Jones.
“Ultimately, it’s my responsibility, like it always is. So if it doesn’t go well, blame me.”
Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe
Here we are after a frustrating and underwhelming 8-9 record. Bill Belichick is to blame for the failures that was the 2022 season. The only thing he can do is fix it, and according to NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran, change is coming. After meeting with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Belichick reportedly acknowledged the need for change in the coaching staff. Through all the failures of the past three seasons, the Patriots are not far off from being a real contender again, and it starts with three steps.
Step 1: Find a Leader of the Offensive Staff
Insert former Patriots offense coordinator, Texans head coach, and current Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. After a Week 13 loss to the Bills, Mac Jones asked for more accountability, saying, ”It starts with me. I think I want to be coached harder. I want to be a better player. The coaches have given us everything they’ve got. They’ve done everything to put us in a position to win. But I want to hold everybody accountable, including myself…”
Bill O’Brien will bring exactly that and is the perfect fit for what the Patriots are looking for and need- an experienced, tough, and well-qualified coach to get Mac Jones and the Patriots’ offense back on track. Belichick needs to hand him the official offensive coordinator title and let him bring in his own staff. Notable options could include T.J. Yates, Doug Marrone, Will Lawing, and Nick Caley. O’Brien is my top option for OC for the reasons provided. Other high-quality options do include but are not limited to, promoting Patriots TE coach Nick Caley and former Patriots coach and current Browns WR coach and pass game coordinator Chad O’Shea. The priority is an established quality offensive mind to lead the offense.
Step 2: Find a WR1
This might end up being the toughest task of them all. The best free agent WR this offseason might be Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers. Retaining him is a logical option, as he has been a reliable target for Mac Jones. One thing is clear for this offense, and that is that they need a legit WR1 threat that defenses need to plan for. Withholding the 14th overall pick, there will likely be the option to snag one of the top WRs entering the draft. However, for now, the focus is on established veterans that can help Mac Jones immediately. There could be numerous options around the league for the Patriots, but their availability will depend on their team’s direction going into next season. That being said, there are some known available options.
Option 1
The clear top option would be current Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins. However, it’s worth noting that Hopkins and Bill O’Brien had a falling out when they were together in Houston. This would lead most to believe he would be off the table if O’Brien were hired. Could they reconcile and make it work? Maybe, but if Belichick is set on trying to bring Hopkins into the mix, which he tried to five years ago, another offensive mind might be the better option as OC.
Option 2
Probably the most realistic option would be bringing back WR Brandin Cooks. Cooks would make sense for a variety of reasons, including his familiarity with O’Brien, Bill Belichick, and of course, the Patriots’ offensive system. Reports are that the Texans’ WR is fully expected to be traded this offseason. With former Patriots Director of player personnel, Nick Caserio, in charge down in Houston, a trade lines up well. Cooks isn’t the high-end WR that Hopkins would bring, but he would bring a reliable and consistent presence to the Patriots’ offense.
Step 3: Address the Tackle Position
The Patriots shuffled around the offensive line this past season, swapping the tackle spots from 2021 with Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown. They also traded veteran guard Shaq Mason, replaced him with Michael Onwenu, and drafted Cole Strange with their first-round pick to fill the LG hole. The offensive line had ups and downs throughout the season, but the RT position was their biggest disappointment.
Now entering the offseason, tackle is a major need. Trent Brown is under contract for next season, but his underwhelming play and cuttable contract put his return in question. This would lead to a scenario where the Patriots need to fill both tackle positions.
The tackle free agent class is a bit underwhelming but does include a few high-quality options. That list includes current Chiefs LT Orlando Brown, Broncos OL Dalton Risner, and 49ers RT Mike McGlinchey
The other option to fill the tackle need and arguably the most logical path would be to use a high draft pick. The tackle position is very strong in this draft class and will provide Belichick with a variety of options. Those options include, but are not limited to, Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr., Georgia’s Broderick Jones, and Tennessee’s Darnell Wright.
An Exciting Offseason Ahead
The Patriots have the money to fill at least one of these holes in free agency or trade, and I expect them to be aggressive. Going into the draft with minimal glaring needs would be a major bonus.
The path to returning to the playoffs and becoming a consistent contender obviously doesn’t stop at these three needs. They will need to address some holes defensively and fix the horrid special teams’ mistakes that cost them games. What we do know is that Bill Belichick failed Mac Jones this past season, and he needs to fix it. Get it right and get the Patriots back to the playoffs.
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