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W
hile New England Patriots fans might be excited for the 2022 regular season to arrive, one NFL expert is concerned about New England.
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The Patriots will look quite different than they did in 2021 in some major areas. Josh McDaniels is no longer a part of Bill Belichick’s coaching staff and All-Pro cornerback J.C. Jackson is no longer on New England’s roster.
With McDaniels departing, ESPN’s Louis Reddick believes that the Patriots coaching staff could be a concern moving forward.
“The Patriots’ lack of explosiveness on the outside was concerning going into last season, but I’m more concerned this year about who will be in the ear of Jones when it comes to his development and the play-calling,” Reddick stated via Hayden Bird of Boston.com.
“That continuity, relationship and chemistry is not easy to duplicate, and given the coaches Belichick is seemingly choosing from to take McDaniels’ place — including offensive assistants Joe Judge and Matt Patricia — I have significant concerns,” Riddick concluded.
The analyst has a relationship with Belichick. Reddick played for Belichick as a member of the Browns during his NFL career.
Are Reddick’s Concerns Valid?
No matter who is in Mac Jones‘ year, the quarterback was likely to have some sort of learning curve as New England’s offense will look different.
Still, having inexperienced offensive coaches such as Judge or Patricia is worrisome. Judge has spent most of his career working with special teams while Patricia is primarily a defensive coach.
Even if Bill Belichick decides to take the role of offensive playcaller, there is some reason for concern. Belichick has found most of his success on the defensive side of the ball and with how much he is involved in the defense, it would be tough for him to balance all those duties.
What is Jones Doing to Prepare for 2022?
While it could be tough for Jones, he has been putting in a lot of work this offseason. he’s been putting in so much work, it’s hard for his teammates not to notice.
“The kid’s a hard worker,” David Andrews said to 98.5 The Sports Hub. “He works his butt off, day in and day out. Sometimes I try to get him to take a deep breath, but that’s what you want out of your quarterback. He works really hard. He’s a tough kid. It’s been fun, for the past year, for me to get to know him and got a lot of respect for how he does things and how he carries himself.”
But with the turnover in the coaching staff, Jones seems to be taking ownership of the offense according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic which should help him be ready to hit the ground running once the regular season arrives.
“Jones has spent long hours at Gillette Stadium, often beating the coaching staff into the building to get a jump-start on film study for the day,” Howe stated. “He is also taking ownership of the offense, willing to vouch for plays and concepts that he likes and pump the brakes on the stuff that hasn’t worked.”
So While Reddick has his concerns, the Patriots have been working hard in order to make sure they are in a position to succeed in 2022.