6 Rings Postgame Show: Mike Kadlick and Christian Fauria join the show to discuss what to make of the Patriots benching Mac Jones
Sweeping, across the board changes at One Patriot Place feel all but imminent this offseason as the once-successful football team in New England sits at 2-8 through their first ten games of 2023.
Head coach? Quarterback? Offensive coordinator? Changes at all three spots could, and should, be on the table heading into 2024.
Interestingly enough, the Athletic’s Dianna Russini seemed to speculate on Monday afternoon that the Carolina Panthers could call upon Bill O'Brien, the Patriots' current OC, to help rookie quarterback Bryce Young in the future:
“Frank Reich and staff are going to try hard to get this Carolina offense off the ground,” she tweeted. “The Panthers have smart coaches who can figure this out, but let's say they can't. You know who knows how to coach the best version of Bryce Young? New England's Bill O'Brien.”
Young, of course, was the quarterback during O’Brien’s tenure as Alabama's offensive coordinator in 2021-2022. The 6-foot signal caller threw for for 8,200 yards and 79 touchdowns under O’Brien's guidance, and won the Heisman Trophy in 2021.
“I’ve learned a tremendous amount from OB,” Young said of his (former) offensive coordinator ahead of last year’s Sugar Bowl. “Coach has taught me so much. I’ve grown so much as a player under him. And getting to have the experience of him coaching the greatest, some of the best players to play the game, him having so much knowledge, and me as a younger quarterback, getting able to gain that, to learn the ins and outs of the system, and see all that he’s brought, it’s been an honor for me to play with him for these past couple years. I’ve grown tremendously.”
What makes this idea even more interesting is the fact that long-time Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is now available, having been fired as head coach of the Raiders last month. Whether New England is looking for a reunion with the multiple-time Super Bowl champion play-caller remains to be determined, but the fact that he’s on the market makes a potential divorce with O’Brien easier.
O'Brien's impact on this Patriots offense this season could not be further from what was expected. Quarterback Mac Jones leads the league in interceptions and has been benched three times, no New England wide receiver has more than 500 yards receiving, and the unit as a whole is scoring just 14.1 points per game.
While this is all likely speculation at the moment, it's hard to believe that Russini would float this tweet out there for no reason. As we know, anything is possible in the NFL, so keep your eyes out for a potential O'Brien/Panthers pairing moving forward as this dreadful Patriots season comes to a close.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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