Getty New England Patriots
J
osh McDaniels is long gone and that means that in 2022, the New England Patriots will look different on offense.
The longtime offensive play-caller has departed for another shot at being a head coach, this time with the Las Vegas Raiders. McDaniels struggled in his first stint as an NFL head coach, going 11-17 while with the Denver Broncos.
While it is unknown who exactly is replacing McDaniels duties, the Patriots revealed certain position groups that coaches are working with. Matt Patricia is working with the offensive lineman while Joe Judge is working with Mac Jones.
ALL the latest Patriots news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Patriots newsletter here!
With the brass in New England remaining silent on who will be calling plays, players now have to face the line of questioning about who they will be taking orders from and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne may have given fans a glimpse into the inner workings of the Patriots offense.
Speaking with NESN.com, Bourne stated that New England’s offense has a “new system” this year.
“New words, new terminology. That’s the biggest thing,” Bourne said at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts Golf Classic. “Football is football; I say it all the time. It’s lines on the paper, and you follow the lines, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to be a football player, and you have to sometimes adjust. You can’t just follow the exact line and get covered. You have to be a savvy football player.
“I’m getting paid to use my ability, and they put me in position to use my ability. So once I’m in position and know what I’m doing, now it’s time to use my ability, and that’s the biggest thing. So (I’m) learning the new terms and just building that relationship with the new coaches.”
But Who’s System Is It?
Bourne didn’t giveaway whose system it was there but might have later with ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Bourne mentioned Judge when talking about the transition the offensive has been going through ahead of the 2022 regular season.
“I think he’s putting us in position to be successful, so I’m excited so far,” Bourne told Reiss. “I’ve rushed the ball a lot and doing different things for myself, and he’s even using other players and their strengths. So hopefully we’ll have a great year, and we’ll see how it goes.”
What to Expect From Kendrick Bourne in 2022?
Bourne is coming off a career year in 2021. The receiver had 44 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
With a full-year in New England under his belt, along with Jones entering his second NFL season, the expectations are even higher for Bourne this year.
“(I have) a lot more explosion,” Bourne told NESN.com. “I feel like I’m a lot stronger. I’m getting better as the years go on, man, and I’m just a lot more comfortable with New England. Just playing with a lot more confidence this year, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m excited.”
Expectations will be high for Bourne and Judge but so far, the Patriots offense appears to be doing just fine without McDaniels.