The last few years of Bill Belichick’s tenure with the New England Patriots have been filled with decisions as questionable as the team’s selection of its 2022 offensive coordinator.
After the departure of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, the Patriots decided not to name a true replacement.
Instead, they chose Matt Patricia, whose last offensive coaching job was as an assistant linebackers coach in 2005. To make matters worse, Joe Judge, who had been the special teams coach his entire career, was named of defenders.
As expected, this experiment turned out to be a total disaster. New England’s offense went from very solid in 2021 to below average in 2022, and Mac Jones, who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting a year ago, took a very significant decline in his second year .
Sure, Jones and the offense as a whole looked worse in 2023, but the Patriots’ coaching decisions started the downward spiral.Nearly two years later, many people still don’t understand what the Patriots were thinking about that decision. That goes for those in the organization as well, as Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne recently called him a “crazy pick.” “It was a tough one,” Bourne told 98.5 Sports Hub’s Zolak and Bertrand. “Even the media world and [the rest of the world] said, ‘What’s going on?’ “He was looking.
There’s also the question, ‘Why?'” That’s the question that came up.“Personally, I was a bit of a victim, wondering why this happened rather than focusing on improving the situation. You worked hard in 2022 bro. So I came back strong in 2023 because of the situation and became a better player because of the situation. But it was just a questionable decision and we all know it.”Vaughn is probably the player most affected by the change in offensive scheme.
After posting a solid 800 yards and five touchdowns in 2021, his first season with the Patriots, Bourne managed just 434 yards and one touchdown in 2022 under Patricia. Despite the poor offense this season, Bourne has been much better with 406 yards and four touchdowns in just eight games.
Bourne and Patricia clashed during the 2022 season, reports surfaced that the receiver was actually in the offensive coordinator’s box.
Patricia’s abrasive personality has led many players astray throughout her career, Bourne being one of the most prominent examples. Patricia spent the 2023 season with the Philadelphia Eagles, eventually taking over the defensive duties near the end of the season. But now I’m unemployed again
