Coaching Notes For The 2023 Patriots

The regular season has officially arrived and the New England Patriots will soon take the field against the Philadelphia Eagles during week one of the 2023 season. Fans are eager to see what’s in store for the Patriots and how the offseason improvements will affect their ability to contend for a Super Bowl. On paper, a lot has changed. The team is younger and has certainly improved overall. That being said, some of the biggest changes came from the coaching staff. Understandably, that sounds anticlimactic, and yet it will likely play a massive difference in the Patriot’s success this season.

Offensive Staff

As we all know, the Patriots had some major changes on the offensive coaching staff. After Matt Patricia and Joe Judge led a bottom-five offense in 2022, the Patriots overhauled the offensive staff. Patricia was let go, and Judge moved into a new role with the team. Fortunately, Belichick was able to land Bill O’Brien to return to New England and take over the same position he once held. Former Steelers offensive line coach, Adrian Klemm, took over the offensive line. While Will Lawing (TE) and Evan Rothstein (Ast QB) filled position roles.

The storyline line offensively is simple. Can Bill O’Brien and company get Mac Jones back on track? In my opinion, he is the perfect fit for what Jones needs. A tough-minded coach who is highly knowledgeable and puts him in the best position to succeed. On the field, we should see a core of what the 2021 offense was under Josh McDaniels, while O’Brien sprinkles in schemes that both Jones and O’Brien used during their time at Alabama. Will all this result in a much-improved offense? I believe so, but only time will tell.

Defensive Staff

For as much change as there was on the offensive side of the ball, we saw the opposite defensively. Bill Belichick made it a priority to keep linebackers coach and former Patriots player, Jerod Mayo, around. Mayo has been a hot name around the NFL the past few seasons and rumors were that he could move on to find a defensive coordinator or even head coaching role somewhere else. However, after meeting with Belichick, the two were able to come to an agreement that kept Mayo in New England.

It should be noted, that Mayo kept the same title that he held in previous seasons. There still is no official “Defensive Coordinator” in New England. For the past couple of seasons, Mayo has teamed up with Steve Belichick to lead the defensive unit. Is the lack of title by design for Mayo? No official DC title would keep the door open for him to leave for that position without the Patriots being able to block him from doing so. It was reported that Mayo was involved with the interviews for the offensive coordinator position, a sign that he has a growing role within the organization. That is where the storyline is for the 2023 season, but Mayo will eventually be a head coach in the NFL, it’s just a matter of when.

Special Teams Staff

When Joe Judge was fired by the Giants, a return to New England seemed inevitable. That being said, it was a puzzling decision to have him return as the QB coach. He had never held an offensive coaching position in the NFL before. Judge teamed up with Matt Patricia to produce one of the worst offenses in football in 2022. Joe Judge still being in New England in large part is because he is still being paid by the Giants. The good news is that he seems to no longer be involved in the offense due to the hiring of Bill O’Brien.

So what does that mean for Joe Judge? Technically, his new job title is “Assistant Head Coach”. It’s a job title that technically signals that he was given a promotion. However, I’d be surprised to think he has the power within the locker room or coaching staff that comes with that title. Judge seems to be nothing more than a general assistant to coach Belichick with most of his on-field focus being on special teams. In years past, the Patriots special team’s play was elite under Joe Judge. If he can aid them in getting them back to form, that’ll be a major boost for the Patriots’ chances this year.

Bill Belichick’s Successor

We don’t know when exactly Bill Belichick will walk away from football. On one side of things, he seems to be enjoying the job as much as ever. On the other side, he is 71 years old and the second oldest head coach in football. As it was discussed above, multiple potential replacements for Belichick are currently on the staff. OC Bill O’Brien is the most qualified and experienced option, as he has nine years of head coaching experience between his time at Penn State and the Houston Texans. Joe Judge has minimal head coaching experience, recently serving as the Giants head coach, but that certainly didn’t end well for him.

Jerod Mayo is an up-and-coming coach who will almost certainly be a head coach in the future. Whether that is in New England or somewhere else is to be determined. Lastly, there is the opportunity to continue the Belichick name as Patriots head coach and turn the reigns over to his son, Steve Belichick. He has slowly risen through the ranks of the Patriots coaching staff over the past twelve years and has been the defensive playcaller in recent seasons.

Who will eventually be the next head coach for the Patriots? It’s difficult to predict, but it should be something to keep an eye on in 2023 and beyond.

For more sports content, visit Belly Up Sports and follow me on X, @MattCouture5.