F
ormer New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was a polarizing figure among fans but there is no doubt that his departure will have ripple effects on the organization in 2022.
McDaniels left the organization to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. After a failed stint as head coach with the Denver Broncos and pulling out of becoming the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, this could be one of McDaniels last opportunities to try and lead a team to a Super Bowl victory.
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This leaves New England in a precarious situation. McDaniels was the offensive genius on the sidelines for 14 non-consecutive seasons. He was Tom Brady’s right-hand man and heads to Las Vegas with six Super Bowl rings on his resume.
Who will exactly replace McDaniels is still to be determined. Head coach Bill Belichick has been tight lipped about if Matt Patricia, Joe Judge, or Nick Caley will be the new offensive coordinator.
This isn’t exactly a new practice in New England as the likes of Brian Flores, McDaniels, and Patricia have operated as coaches without the official offensive or defensive coordinator title. Still, there seems to be a lot of questions about the Patriots coaching staff heading into the 2022 season.
Where will McDaniels be missed the most?
If there is anyone who knows about how New England’s coaching staff works, it’s Dante Scarnecchia. The veteran offensive line coach worked 34 years for the Patriots before retiring in 2019.
Scarnecchia appeared on WEEI’s Ken and Curtis on Saturday and spoke about where the Patriots will miss McDaniels the most.
“I think where Josh is always going to be most missed is his ability to adjust the game play during the course of the game,” Scarnecchia explained. “I think he was extraordinary at that.”
McDaniels play-calling was always a hot-button topic among Patriots fans. Some called him a genius for his ability to create trick plays while some thought he made mistakes in certain situations.
No matter what side of the issue fans land on, there is no doubt that McDaniels has a lot of experience calling plays. Whoever takes over the play-calling duties will have some big shoes to fill.
But Wait, There’s More
The former offensive line coach also added that New England will miss McDaniels ability to mentor QB’s.
“He’s going to be missed because of his ability to mentor quarterbacks, especially during a game,” said Scarnecchia. “I’ve already said this ad nauseam so many times: his being with the quarterback on the bench over the course of a game is both soothing and informative to them. Those two areas, plus I really think just the way we had all of our meetings, and we were able to formulate plans, and come out with a common thing between everybody. It was a very, very pleasant environment.”
With Mac Jones entering his second NFL season, having some stability in the coaching staff would have been ideal. While the offensive scheme might not get a complete makeover, things will look different. Fans will be hoping that this doesn’t stunt Jones’ growth after an impressive rookie season where the rookie threw for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
So no matter how you felt about McDaniels time in New England, he will definitley be missed on the Patriots’ sidelines this season.
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Former Coach Explains Where Patriots Will Miss Josh McDaniels the Most