Bill Belichick handed the keys of the Patriots offense over to Matt Patricia, after Josh McDaniels left to become Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, and the subsequent crash has been massive. McDaniels had the offense ranked sixth in the league in scoring. Now it sits at 20th.
It’s difficult to overstate the absurdity of Belichick’s decision. Patricia had gone 13-29-1 in nearly three seasons as a Head Coach. His offensive coaching resume consisted of one season as New England’s assistant offensive line coach in 2005. Yet, he was the one given a play-calling job so important that more than a dozen head coaches leaguewide keep the duty for themselves.
A decision that seemed destined to fail is now, surprise!, is doing just that, prompting some difficult questions going forward. How much longer can the Patriots go with Patricia in charge of the offense? How do you evaluate your QB when this is the offense he’s forced to run?
A fan base spoiled by the greatest quarterback of all time is now watching an offense being run by a former defensive coordinator. It lacks creativity, complexity and general effectiveness.
Patriots offensive line coach and play caller Matt Patricia. Photo courtsey of Eric Canha / USA Today
