Stop me if you’ve heard this, but the Patriots offense this past season was nothing short of a disaster. According to an explosive report in the Boston Herald from Andrew Callahan and Karen Guregian, the dysfunction surrounding the Patriots offense and their coaching staff was more extensive than anyone could have imagined.
After offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels bolted New England to coach the Las Vegas Raiders last offseason, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick put Matt Patricia in charge of play-calling and Joe Judge in charge of quarterbacks despite neither having any prior experience. What ensued was a debacle from the first day of training camp until the last snap of the season.
“This was dysfunctional,” Callahan told Gueregian on the “Pats Interference” Podcast on CLNS Media. This organization, this whole set-up, this management was riddled with distrust. It was not ok. They (the sources quoted in the story) are still irked by it.
“It was surprising how much he (Bill Belichick) underestimated the situation or what goes into coaching an offense,” said Guregian.
The report details issues that arose early in camp. From a haphazard install of a Shanahan style offense, to the oversimplification of the playbook, to open screaming matches between Judge and quarterback Mac Jones.
According to Guregian, the Patriots were so obsessed with changing the scheme, that it was “like putting a square peg in a round hole.” The veteran Herald reporter was particularly shocked at how Belichick – who is normally on top of every detail – allowed the dysfunction to fester and spread.
“Having covered Bill Belichick for 20 plus years,” she said. ” It was surprising how much he underestimated the situation or coaching or what goes into coaching an offense or play calling for an offense. I think that even took some of the players aback as well. You know, based on some of the information that we glean is that, on the outside, it was surprising, it might have been even more surprising on the inside.”
Callahan echoed this, saying that Belichick’s refusal to alter the offense rubbed players the wrong way.
“The relationships and the system became so strained. The system that binds everyone together, the individual relationships from quarterback to receiver, center to quarterback, center to offensive line coach, offensive line coach to quarterback coach, all of those were stressed. It came back to doubt in Belichick.”
Callahan took things a step forward on the Podcast saying, that as much as he and Guregian included in the report (all stories that were corroborated by multiple sources) there was a lot they did not include.
“I can say with 99% certainty that (the situation around) the 2022 Patriots offense was even worse than we shared and reported,” Callahan said. “There are other nuggets we were told that we couldn’t independently confirm or told ‘this could never see the light of day’ because it would reveal the source. They are not included. But taking those things from trusted sources it confirms that the dysfunction was even worse than anyone imagined.”
One such quote that was not included to the piece came from a source who wondered ‘if he (Bill Belichick) makes these moves and just does them thinking, ‘if it works i’ll look like a genius and if it doesn’t i’ll just fi it next year.”
The two reporters also discussed what, if any long term ramifications this season may have on the trust players have in Belichick and the existing organizational structure. Callahan and Guregian agreed that all the people they spoke with are prepared to put this behind them and the hiring of Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator goes a long way to mending those wounds.
“I see this as the bottom,” Guregian said. “Those on the inside are thinking, we’re going to turn page start fresh. Last year is what it is. Move forward with a coach who knows what he’s talking about.”
