The 2022 “process” of having Matt Patricia calling plays into the huddle and Joe Judge working with quarterbacks has come to an end.
The result? One of the worst New England Patriots offenses of Bill Belichick’s tenure, an 8-9 record and another season of falling short of the postseason.
The morning after his team’s season-ending loss, the first question Belichick received from reporters was whether he considered that process a success — and if he plans to have Patricia and Judge coaching offense again next season.
Here’s Belichick’s response:
“We’ll evaluate everything that we’ve done, from me on down to everybody else and evaluate things and make improvements where we feel like we can,” Belichick said. “There were a lot of positive things over the course of the year in all areas that we can build on. But in the end, it wasn’t what we wanted to be or needed to be. We’ll look at everything.”
The Patriots raised many eyebrows this past season when the team moved forward with Patricia (a former defensive coach) and Judge (best known for his special teams work) as the primary coaches on offense.
It was a controversial move after former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Rather than hire an outside coach as an offensive coordinator, Belichick made the unconventional decision to use some familiar faces in new roles.
So, heading into the 2023 season, will the Patriots look for an outside coach in that role?
“I mean, the game just ended. We just finished with the Buffalo game and I told you that later on today, we would start the process of reviewing,” Belichick said.
The Patriots fell short of the postseason for the second time in the past three seasons after Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.