We finally got to hear from Alex Van Pelt this week.
No, the critical figure in the 2024 season and possible New England return from the offensive ashes didn’t hold a press conference or even meet with the media.
But, there were still interesting ideas to come out of his comments to the in-house Patriots.com cameras that are worth noting, if not worth questioning. Words that highlight the biggest problems in Gillette Stadium these days and give reason to believe the turnaround on Route 1 is not likely to be a (Taylor) swift one.
“I think a good coordinator does what’s best for his players,” New England’s new offensive coordinator Van Pelt says to anyone who’ll listen to the promotional video sent out to the Patriots 4.6 million followers on X. “I think a lot of guys will have scheme that they understand, they have familiarity with as coordinators but if it doesn’t fit the player then how good is the scheme, really? So a good coordinator will often take the strengths of the players that he has, play to their strengths while at the same time being able to protect them from their weaknesses.
“I think running the football in this league wins games, wins championships, being able to do that late in the season.
“Quarterback play is a big part of what I believe in. Putting him in a position to be successful. And if you can make that guy be successful oftentimes your offense is successful.
“Getting to know these guys, getting to love these guys as players and people, I think will all make us better in the long run.”
Overall, Van Pelt’s 67-second video probably said something about who he is and what he wants his offense to be. But it also kinda said nothing at all in the same way politicians profess theories and plans with little detail in an effort to appeal to the masses and alienate as few as possible. Saying what they think people probably want to hear rather than the harsh meaningful truth of the moment.
Here’s the problem with Van Pelt’s description of a good coordinator as it pertains to what he’s going to do in New England for Jerod Mayo’s team. Van Pelt hasn’t been the guy to build, design and call his own offense since 2009 in Buffalo, which is a lifetime ago in the NFL.
Maybe even more importantly and more concerning, though, is the admirable idea that Van Pelt will design his scheme, system and game plans to fit his New England players and their talents.
What players? Right now the Patriots’ roster rebuild has them with wide-open holes on the depth chart at quarterback, wide receiver and tight end!
No wonder Van Pelt highlighted the running back position and idea that he might be looking to run the football. It’s literally the only skill position on his offense where he knows he has a capable, proven, productive option in Rhamondre Stevenson, who’s obviously on board with the plan to be a featured back in what will be a contract year.
Van Pelt is also certainly right about the key factor that quarterback play represents for an offense, oh so obviously stating the necessarily NFL obvious in 2024. It’s something no one knows more intimately than New England for better (let’s say 2001-2019!) or worse (let’s say 2020-2023!).
So, based on Van Pelt’s own words he optimistically plans to be the kind of “good coordinator” who builds his offense around his talent, especially the quarterback. So, he’ll theoretically do things differently if he’s working with Jayden Daniels vs. Drake Maye. Baker Mayfield (who makes a cameo in the video) vs. Kirk Cousins vs. Jacoby Brissett. Mac Jones vs. Bailey Zappe.
And to a lesser degree Van Pelt needs to wait and see who is actually on his personnel depth chart at wide receiver and tight end beyond diminutive young playmaker DeMario Douglas before he can construct an offense that’s is looking to bounce back in a big way from two horrific seasons.
Van Pelt talked the well-edited, nicely-packaged talk this week on Patriots.com.
It sounded OK. Sounded at the very least like a man with a skeleton for a plan, kinda sorta.
But if you actually listened and thought about it, it also very much magnified the current lack of talent on the Patriots roster and the many questions that will need to be answered by the Eliot Wolf-led talent evaluation collaboration nation in Foxborough before Van Pelt can actually get to work figuring out how to field a respectable, competitive offense in 2024.
Unsure what the Patriots offense will look like this coming fall? Wanna know what the New England attack will be?
Van Pelt seemingly has to have the same questions. Because it's hard for any chef to cook anything when you don't know what ingredients you have to work with.