Matt Patricia
© Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
When longtime Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels took the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching job in January, Bill Belichick knew he would be forced to think outside the box for his next hire.
Now, nearly 12 months later, Belichick and the Patriots remain without an offensive coordinator – at least in its traditional sense.
Deciding against naming one coach to replace McDaniels to start the season, New England instead opted to have Matt Patricia and Joe Judge work with the Patriots’ offense under slightly different titles.
New England’s plan backfired in a big way. While McDaniels’ Raiders currently rank inside the top ten of most offensive statistics, the Patriots’ offense has hovered near the bottom of the league.
When asked about the Patriots’ struggling offense today in a media session, Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said, “It’s like a defensive guy is calling the offense.”
“It’s like a defensive guy is calling the offense,” Vance Joseph said Thursday according to Darren Urban.
Joseph explained his statement by saying that the style of offense run in New England is consistent with a defensive-minded coach.
“Let’s not turn the ball over, get four yards a play, try to burn the clock, that’s what they are doing. … They are going to be patient,” Joseph said.
Joseph’s comments come just days after Patriots’ quarterback Mac Jones displayed frustration on the sidelines stemming from poor play-calling.
Jones, who later apologized for the outburst, could be seen saying something along the lines of “Throw the (expletive) ball! (Expletive) quick game sucks!” during New England’s 24-10 loss to Buffalo last Thursday.
New England, 6-6, will look to keep their playoff hopes alive on Monday night with a win over the Arizona Cardinals.
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