New England Patriots: How Bill O’Brien Will Improve Offense?

The New England Patriots thought they had found Tom Brady’s heir when they drafted Mac Jones.

He looked quite poised in his first year in the league, with some Massachusetts sports betting sites listing him as the frontrunner to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Then, his regression in his sophomore season was somewhat worrisome. Of course, it’s not like he was put in a position to succeed, either. Bill Belichick didn’t hire an Offensive Coordinator to replace Josh McDaniels, who left for the Las Vegas Raiders coaching job.

More than that, he put defensive-minded assistant Matt Patricia in charge of calling the offensive plays, which was obviously a terrible idea. The results were as bad as expected, and Jones was visually frustrated more often than not.

Now, they’ll bring a familiar face to try and straighten the ship. Bill O’Brien will serve as their new Offensive Coordinator, and he looks quite excited about the team and the group of players he’ll be in charge of in 2023:

“Yeah, it’s been good. It’s been really good. Good staff, great guys,” O’Brien said. “Just started with the players yesterday and that’s been good. Great attendance so far.”

“You know, the whole thing leading up to this period is a dead period, so this is the first time we’ve actually had a chance to be with players, and that’s really exciting because that’s what it’s all about on the coaching end of it,” the OC added. “So it’s been good.”

A Fresh Start for Mac Jones

The Patriots need to move on from last year’s terrible season. Their offense ranked dead last or near last in nearly every major stat, but hopefully, that’s a thing of the past with O’Brien calling the shots:

“I think the big thing for us right now is everybody starts with a clean slate. I think that every year is different,” O’Brien said. “I think this year is no different than any other year relative to each year in the NFL is different, right?”

“So, what you did in the past, whether it’s a player or coach or anybody in the organization, really has no bearing on what happens moving forward. So like, we just started yesterday and we’re looking forward to having a good Phase 1 and then a good Phase 2 and then a good Phase 3 and that’s kind of what it’s all about.”

He comes with head coaching experience with the Houston Texans, and he’s quite familiar with Mac Jones from their days together with the Alabama Crismon Tide. That’s why the former first-overall pick seems ecstatic for the chance to play for a familiar face:

“I think we’re all excited for this next year, and it just starts with putting your head down and going to work,” Jones told Boston.com. “We’ve got a great group of guys, and it’s all about how you come together as a team — players, coaches, everybody. So I’m excited to work with [O’Brien], and I know we all are, and it’s gonna be a great year. We’ve just gotta put the work in.”

“[The offseason has] been good,” Jones said. “I think it’s important to just evaluate everything. Obviously, a day like today, it takes your mind off football and you get to enjoy the kids. But I’ve definitely been giving it a lot, just like every year, and just super excited to get back with the guys here soon and get to work.”

The Future Is Uncertain

Even so, nothing is guaranteed for Jones at this point. He’ll have the ball on his hands way more often with O’Brien’s offense, and JuJu Smith-Schuster’s addition makes us all think that they’re going to favor the passing game this time around.

Even so, the word around the league is that the Patriots coaching staff isn’t so sure about Jones as the future of the organization anymore, and Bill Belichick recently stated that everybody, including backup QB Bailey Zappe, would get a chance to play.

Should Jones become available, there would be multiple teams lining up to try and take a chance on him, but that would put the Patriots in a somewhat tough spot. Other than Lamar Jackson or barring a Zappe breakout, it doesn’t seem like they’ll have many options at QB.

Belichick is a handful of wins behind Don Shula for the all-time record of most wins in the regular season, and that’s something he’s eyeing before retirement. But Robert Kraft made it clear that he won’t tolerate losing any further, even if that means parting ways with his lifelong coach.

We’re approaching the dawn of a new era in Foxboro, so the pressure is on Bill O’Brien to bring this team back to their winning ways sooner rather than later.