Getty Bill Belichick
What in the world are the New England Patriots doing on offense?
That’s the most commonly asked question in sports media today when Bill Belichick’s squad is discussed. No one seems to know for sure, and everyone appeared even more confused after the preseason opener.
Belichick elected to have both Matt Patricia and Joe Judge calling plays on offense during the game in what appeared to be a competition for the job. Belichick called it a “process,” and advised a media member, “don’t worry about that,” when he was asked for clarity on the team’s plans for offensive playcalling.
If we weren’t talking about arguably the most legendary head coach in the history of professional football, we’d be seeing even harsher criticism levied the Patriots’ way. As it is, Belichick’s stature and accomplishments are affording him a “benefit of the doubt” with some, such as Fox Sports’ Doug Gottlieb, but the questions and speculation are flowing.
Sirius XM’s Rich Eisen Wonders Aloud About the Patriots’ “Process”
Rich Eisen had NBC Sports’ Tom E. Curran on as a guest on his show to shed some light on what the Patriots are doing offensively. Curran surmised the Patriots are ultimately looking at Joe Judge developing into a play-caller full-time.
In Curran’s view, Belichick allows Patricia to handle some of the duties until Judge is ready to take the reins full time. Eisen indicated fans have to trust Belichick but admitted that the situation is “uninspiring.” Here is a look at the segment:
The #Patriots offensive struggles this #NFLPreseason has gotten a lot of run in New England, so we checked in with @tomecurran to see if it’s warranted and if it can be fixed in time to save this season:
The Patriots will compete against the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday in a joint practice. Because none of the Patriots’ starters on offense played against the New York Giants in the preseason opener, this scrimmage will mark the first time we get a chance to see Mac Jones and Co. attempt to move the ball against a defense they won’t be sharing the sidelines with during the regular season.
While it won’t count for the Patriots’ bottom line, it is a pretty significant day, even if it’s just from a perception standpoint. It might be foolish to believe Belichick cares too much about how he or his team is perceived.
Still, a respectable performance from the Patriots’ first unit on offense against a talented Carolina Panthers defense–even in a scrimmage–would calm some of the storms that are raging against New England’s “process.”
Patriots Notes and Quotes
Who’s Going to Fill James White’s Shoes?
NFL writer Bobby Thompson talked about the Patriots’ task of filling the recently-retired James White’s shoes. According to Thompson, Rhamondre Stevenson got reps in that role at Monday’s practice.
#Patriots have a hole to fill that has been now vacated by James White retiring. RB Rhamondre Stevenson was in that role during todays practice.
While Stevenson saw some work as the pass-catching back in practice and does figure to get some opportunities to catch the ball this season, the better fit for the role is veteran Ty Montgomery.
By many accounts, including USA Today’s Henry McKenna, Montgomery has already all but locked up the responsibility based on practice trends and the fact that he was among the players inactive for the preseason opener.
We’ll get a better idea of where the backs stand after Tuesday’s scrimmage.