Vincent Frank
New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien is attempting to implement a new system for young quarterback Mac Jones.
The former first-round pick struggled big time under co-coordinators Matt Patricia and Joe Judge a season ago, throwing 14 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. This came after a splendid rookie campaign under then-coordinator Josh McDaniels.
By all accounts, Jones is having a ton of success this summer with an actual offensive mind calling plays. Remember, neither Patricia nor Judge had experience in that role before last season.
In talking to the media on Friday, it does appear that O’Brien took a jab at Patricia.
“It’s not rocket science. We’re not splitting atoms,” O’Brien said about the Patriots’ offensive scheme.
Let us explain.
Before his career as a coach, Patricia was actually on the path to becoming a legitimate rocket scientist. You can’t make this up.
He majored in aeronautical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. Companies such as Boeing, General Electric, General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin had shown widespread interest in Patricia. He opted to become a football coach instead.
It’s more than reasonable to believe that O’Brien was just using a common expression when explaining the New England Patriots’ offense under his leadership. With that said, Patricia’s past has not been a well-kept secret since he entered the NFL as an assistant under Bill Belichick back in 2004.
Related: New England Patriots standing in Sportsnaut’s NFL offense rankings
Under Patricia and Judge a season ago, the Patriots’ offense finished 17th in scoring and 26th in total yards. That’s a far cry from their standing as the sixth-best scoring unit under McDaniels during Jones’ rookie season.
For his part, Jones also seemed to throw some shade in the direction of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge earlier in the summer.
“It’s been really good. It’s been normal. I think everything he’s (O’Brien) done so far has been really good. Communication is the most important part. And trust. I think it all starts with that with a new coach. He’s done a great job controlling the room. I feel like everyone’s on the same page,” Jones said back in May during OTAs.
