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- Nobody knows who is going to call plays for the Patriots this fall.
- Based on Monday’s practice, there may be multiple coaches involved.
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One of the biggest storylines entering the 2022 NFL season is surrounding the New England Patriots. Specifically, there is a major mystery about who will be in charge of the offense.
During the offseason, former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left for the head coaching job in Las Vegas. To replace him, Bill Belichick and the Patriots did not hire an offensive mind, but hired former Giants head coach Joe Judge.
It has been nearly four months since McDaniels left and the team has not named his replacement. As a result, the players are reportedly concerned about how the coaching on that side of the ball will look.
Some have said that the offensive play-caller will come down to a “competition” between Judge and Matt Patricia. While both Judge and Patricia have been head coaches in the NFL, neither of them have called plays.
I've heard the same thing as @MikeReiss on the Patriots' offensive play-calling. No decision yet from Bill Belichick. It may come down to a competition of sorts during training camp. The top candidates are Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) May 12, 2022
It is all very unclear, but a new report from practice on Monday might help to provide some insight into the Patriots’ coaching staff structure.
The offensive play-calling duties could be shared by a few different coaches. It may end up being Belichick himself who calls plays.
According to Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal, Judge was in charge of “most” of the offensive drills. But Patricia was working with the quarterbacks during run-focused drills.
And then when the team broke out into the 11-on-11 session, it was the head coach who was sending in the plays to the quarterbacks. All three guys were very heavily involved.
During 11v11 RB focused drills, it was Matt Patricia meeting with the QBs before each play.
Wonder if we’ll see a run game and pass game coordinator this season
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) May 23, 2022
Knowing how Belichick operates, there may never be a formal decision made in the public eye about who is calling plays. That may be kept under wraps until the regular season begins or simply never addressed at all.
In the meantime, the picture is slowly becoming more clear. Kinda. Sorta.