FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — After a season in which the New England Patriots plummeted to the bottom of the league rankings in several major offensive categories, the club announced Thursday that it will begin interviewing candidates next week to fill the role of offensive coordinator.
This confirms that head coach Bill Belichick, who is set to enter his 24th season, is moving away from the structure he implemented in 2022 in which he did not name an official coordinator.
Matt Patricia and Joe Judge filled leading roles on the offensive staff, with Patricia calling on the plays to second-year quarterback Mack Jones. Patricia’s official title was Senior Football Advisor/Offensive Line, and Judge’s title was Offensive Assistant/Quarterbacks.
The moves were viewed by many as unconventional, with Patricia’s primary background as an NFL coach on defense, and referee on special teams. Belichick said his belief is that a good coach is superior to any position, although after the team’s 8-9 season, he acknowledged better results are needed in all areas.
This is particularly the case on offense, where the Patriots dipped notably in several key categories from 2021 to 2022 after Josh McDaniels departed to become the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach.
Some of these areas include:
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Red Zone Efficiency: 11 (39 TDs in 63 trips) to 32 (19 TDs in 45 trips)
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Third down: 10 (43.5%) to 27 (34.8%)
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First discount: 9 (362) to 28 (288)
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Sax: 8 (28 for 241 yards) to 19 (41 for 279 yards)
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Touchdowns Scored: 48 to 31
With Belichick set to interview offensive coordinator candidates, it leaves open the possibility that Patricia and Judge — each of whom won three Super Bowls as Patriots assistants and for whom Belichick has great respect — could fill other roles on the staff.
Former Patriots quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien (2009-2011), whose two-year contract as University of Alabama offensive coordinator is expiring, is among several candidates Belichick is expected to consider.
In addition to the Patriots’ search for an offensive coordinator, the club also announced Thursday that it has “initiated contract extension discussions with [inside linebackers coach] Jerod Mayo that would keep him with the team long-term.
Mayo played eight seasons for the team (2008-2015) and just completed his fourth season as an assistant. He has received interest from other teams for head coaching vacancies, most recently with the Carolina Panthers asking to interview him, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Cleveland Browns also asked to interview Mayo for their defensive coordinator this week, sources told Schefter.
