Patriots Might Be Feeling Buyer’s Remorse With Offensive Coach
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The first three weeks of the season were a rough start for Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
When New England hired the former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator, it was met with intrigue. The 54-year-old never called plays in his career, but he did work with Kevin Stefanski and coached Aaron Rodgers when he was with the Green Bay Packers. Van Pelt had a reputation for player development, a skill crucial for a first-year head coach and rebuilding team.
The Patriots started the season strong with an upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the losses to the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets left a lot to be desired.
In fairness to Van Pelt, the offensive line cratered, especially on "Thursday Night Football." Executive Eliot Wolf tried to get the offense more weapons, but failing to do so left Jacoby Brissett with a lack of juice to work with.
Mayo wanted his team's bread and butter to be a ground-and-pound game. But a lack of a passing threat means it's easier for teams to play the run, which might explain why the Patriots started pass-heavy Thursday.
There are plenty of excuses to give Van Pelt, and it's admittedly a drastic decision to move away from him after one season. But when you look at who New England had on their list of offensive coordinator hires, it might sting a bit for fans.
Nick Caley reportedly was handed a massive offer to return to New England. However, the former tight ends coach chose to stay on Sean McVay's staff. He certainly would have been an intriguing hire given the strength of McVay's system, but it sounded like the Patriots did everything they could to bring back a familiar face.
Someone who they probably should have tried harder to get was Klint Kubiak. The former San Francisco 49ers passing game coordinator took multiple interviews last offseason, including with the Patriots. The 37-year-old landed with the New Orleans Saints, and he turned them into a threat through two weeks.
New Orleans ranked first in offensive expected points added per play and second in offensive success rate through two weeks. Derek Carr was thought to be washed, but he might turn into an MVP candidate. Rashid Shaheed was used as a gadget receiver in his first two seasons, but he's turned into a legit No. 2 wideout along with Chris Olave. The Saints lost their top offensive lineman Ryan Ramczyk for the season, but the unit held up against a formidable Dallas Cowboys pass rush in Week 2.
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Could Kubiak have done the same with the Patriots? It's hard to say for sure, but it's got to sting for Patriots fans to see a coordinator build an exciting offense based on the teachings of his father Gary Kubiak, Mike Shanahan and Kyle Shanahan. The outside zone scheme would have been a dramatic shift for New England and might not have been a fit with the offensive line, but it's still fascinating to imagine.
Again, Van Pelt should be given time to get his scheme to work, but the first three weeks of the season showed there is pressure to step up and display some sort of positive sign for the future.
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