Replacing Bill Belichick with an offensive-minded head coach seems like the obvious next step for the New England Patriots, but history suggests otherwise.
Specifically, owner Robert Kraft’s history of hiring head coaches with a background in defense, a preference that could lead him to appoint Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
The latter “is an old school-minded, yet effective, defensive coach. He could keep the Patriots defense in elite form, and if coupled with the right offensive coordinator, the pair could do magic in New England,” according to Jordy McElroy of USA Today’s Patriots Wire.
Quinn has a checkered, but lengthy history with the Patriots, per McElroy: “They first handed his Legion of Boom defense with the Seattle Seahawks a loss in Super XLIX, and then they completed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history at Super Bowl LI, when he was the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons.”
Those high-profile setbacks haven’t stopped Quinn from rebuilding his reputation in Dallas. He’s calling plays for one of the toughest units in the NFL.
Quinn’s defensive expertise could turn a solid Patriots unit into the league’s best, although a franchise great thinks Kraft’s next head coach should be an expert in designing offense.
Dan Quinn Can Build on Bill Belichick’s Strength
Not much has been good about the Patriots this season, but Belichick’s 3-11 team is the NFL’s best in one area. Specifically, the Pats boast the league’s strongest run defense, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss: “By holding the Chiefs to 43 rushing yards on 22 carries (2.2 average) Sunday, the Patriots’ run defense firmly maintained its top NFL ranking in average yards per rush allowed (3.14).”
What New England’s defense lacks is a truly creative and swarming pass rush. Crafting pressure is Quinn’s specialty. He’s made smart use of gifted athletes like Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Osa Odighizuwa in Dallas.
Using those players in creative ways helped Quinn’s defense send Patriots legend Tom Brady into retirement with a loss in last season’s playoffs. Brady was baffled by a myriad of pressure, with John Owning of Pro Football Focus breaking down one of the best rush schemes:
Nice sim pressure by Dan Quinn to turn the heat on Brady while keeping 7 defenders in coverage. LVE and Micah perform an X blitz while Dorance Armstrong and DLaw drop into coverage. #Cowboys
Varying the rush plan has helped make versatile All-Pro Parsons a star. He’s logged 40 sacks since entering the pros in 2021, including 13 this season.
Quinn turns Parsons loose with a variety of “alignment/stunts,” per ESPN’s Matt Bowen.
Using somebody like veteran edge-rusher Matthew Judon in similar ways would transform the Patriots’ pass rush. Meanwhile, players like outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings and safety Jabrill Peppers would keep Quinn’s defense strong on the ground.
There’s a lot to recommend Quinn to the Patriots, but a complete change from Belichick requires a coach with a different philosophy. The type of coach Kraft has never hired, but Julian Edelman hopes he might.
Julian Edelman Calls for Different Type of Coaching Hire
Kraft inherited Bill Parcells, a coach well-versed in defense, when he took over the franchise in 1994. The owner has stuck with defensive-minded head coaches ever since.
Pete Carroll replaced Parcells in 1997 after a successful two-year stint as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. Belichick, Parcells’ DC with the New York Giants and New York Jets, got his chance when he took over from Carroll in 2000.
Edelman won three Super Bowls as a prolific wide receiver on Belichick’s watch, but he believes it’s time for a head coach who knows offense. Speaking on the “Pardon My Take” podcast for Barstool Sports, Edelman said: “If I were to go that route of hiring a coach, with the (draft) pick that they’re probably going to have, I would want to probably have an offensive-minded guy,” Edelman said. “That’s kind of what the league’s going to.”
There are some intriguing candidates among the NFL’s fraternity of offensive coordinators. Notably, Ben Johnson of the Detroit Lions, but Kraft’s history suggests a defensive-minded play-caller like Quinn will have a strong chance to replace Belichick if the six-time Super Bowl is out of the job in 2024.
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‘Old School-Minded’ Cowboys Coach a Possible Replacement for Bill Belichick