We already know the Patriots’ offense, especially the wide receivers, had some (rightful) beef with the team’s offensive coaches, including Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, during a lackluster 2022 campaign.
Apparently, the feeling was mutual during the run-up to the season, according to Patriots corner Malcolm Butler.
The one-time Super Bowl hero, who failed to make the team’s roster after suffering a training-camp injury last summer, told MassLive’s Mark Daniels last week that the receivers drew Patricia’s ire early last season for – wait for it – not running hard enough during conditioning.
“Matt P is a motivator. I could see his frustration,” Butler. “We were doing conditioning tests and all the defensive players were up front and some offensive players were up front, but your wide receivers, people who play a big role in the offense weren’t showing grind and grit and showing like they want it.
“I’m pretty sure he was frustrated with that. I said, ‘yup, that’s a defensive guy.’ He’s not too in tune with that. He’s like ‘Come on, get the (expletive) up there. What are you doing? Come on.’”
(Given how much time Kendrick Bourne spent in the doghouse last year, one can’t help but wonder if he’s one of the guilty parties setting off Patricia’s hardo radar.)
On one hand, you can see why this might be a problem for any coach and how it feeds into the overall problem. If you’re not willing to run hard in conditioning drills to get into the best shape possible, perhaps you’re not willing to do the other things you have to do to win.
That said, it’s hard to be more upset with the lack of “grit and grind” from the receivers than the poor execution and attention to detail by that unit.
The turnover in offensive coaching with Bill O’Brien in and Patricia and Joe Judge out, along with Patricia’s conspicuous absence from the Shrine Bowl coaching roster, leads us to believe the Patriots put a lot of the problems on coaching rather than just the players.
“The offense wasn’t just as crispy as it once was," Butler added about the offense. "... The plays were so predictable. It was like they always tried to go deep downfield. It was just so predictable. They’d get in trips, I know what they’re going to run. Or shotgun, they’re not (running). It’s pass-first.
“There was balance when [Tom] Brady was there and I was there. It was run the ball, pass the ball, dink and dunk. (This) was like they were trying to stretch the defense every play. It wasn’t the same.”
You mean we weren’t the only one who noticed all those 15-yard routes on 3rd-and-short without an easy check-down option? If Butler could see it, you can bet the rest of the league took note, as evidenced by the precipitous drop-off in offensive production between 2021 and 2022.
On a more positive note, the former Patriot cornerback believes Mac Jones will bounce back from a trying 2022 and show everyone his Patricia-led year was a mere aberration.
“They just need an offensive coordinator," Butler said. "(Jones) is a good guy. He makes some good decisions with the football. I think a lot was going on with the media. He was getting criticized a lot. That can bring a lot of pressure on the player, especially if you’re the quarterback.
“I’m pretty sure he’ll shake back this year and come out real strong and use this criticism as motivation to get better. I’m pretty sure he will because the guy wants to win.”
For Jones’ sake, and the Patriots’, let’s hope Butler is right and that getting Patricia away from the young quarterback will help.
Of course, one can’t help but feel Patricia is once again going to be centerstage when Butler eventually tells us exactly why he didn’t play in Super Bowl LII.
