The first day of Patriots training camp is not the first time Mac Jones has had to answer questions about the New England offense that’s now being built around the second-year Pro Bowl quarterback.
Given the offseason departure of longtime, respected, accomplished offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, 2022 was always going to be a transition for the younger passer.
But the transition is even more dubious than might normally be expected given that the key coaches on the retooled offensive staff are Matt Patricia and Joe Judge -- formerly the defensive coordinator and special teams coach on Bill Belichick’s staff before each failed in his chance as a head coach with the Lions and Giants, respectively.
Now Patricia is the offensive line coach, Judge is the quarterbacks coach and both, along with Belichick, have played a role in play-calling throughout spring and now training camp practice.
Following the first shorts-and-helmets workout of the summer, Jones tried to explain once again what’s going on with the offensive coaching staff and it’s apparently “streamlined” scheme.
“Obviously coach Belichick has done a great job kind of explaining exactly what we want to do as an offense,” Jones said. “Matty P has seen so many different defenses, along with Coach Belichick, so it’s like they combine their knowledge of how to attack the defense. That’s something that’s really stood out to me. And they are great guys. And Coach Judge, they all bring this different energy to the room when they are presenting. So they all are trying to get us to work together and that’s the most important part, is we’re all on the same page regardless of who’s talking, who’s making the decision on a play or whatnot. It’s always an open conversation, which I love.”
Jones was then asked what was that sort of “vision” that Belichick explained not only to his quarterback but to his learning-on-the-fly offensive assistant coaches?
“I think at the end of the day Patriot offense is Patriot offense,” Jones expanded. “We’re trying to hold onto the ball in a way that we’re not turning the ball over, that’s the No. 1 thing. We want to be able to move the ball downfield in any way we want to: short, medium or long passes. It can be catch after run. It can be in the running game. Explosive plays and play within ourselves and use our strengths. I think it’s all about the guys in the room and using those guys and using their strengths and me just distributing the ball to different people, which is what I’ve been good at and need to continue to grow with. It’s just getting it to the right guy, the guy who’s most open and let him get the YAC and make the play. Or make the deep play and the gadget play. So there’s elements to every offense and I think there is a very clear layout this year.”
Jones reiterated his assessment from the spring that he feels a clear ownership of the offense as it’s tailored to the young QB.
“Yeah. At the end of the day the players play and the coaches coach. You want to listen to the good coaching that you can get from three coaches who’ve all been head coaches. So they’ve seen a ton of football,” Jones said. “That’s what I’m trying to take in is what are some things that each one says in a meeting that I can take with me, whether that’s about life or football, and then apply it to the game. Like I said, they all bring a different perspective.
But I feel like they’re listening to the players. ‘Hey, we kind of like this concept.’ ‘Alright, let’s try it.’ Or if they want to put in something else, they explain the why. That’s the important part for me is understanding why we are doing something and from there my job as a player is to go execute the plays.
“We’re having an open conversation, which is important.
Then at the end of the day we take the coaching that they are giving us, whether that’s fundamentals or scheme or reads and we apply it out here. So that’s what we have to do more consistently.”
One thing that continues to be consistent is the praise that Jones gets from his teammates. He brought impressive energy throughout the first practice of the summer, especially with key hookups to guys like DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne during the morning workout.
Jones confidently declared, “I’m not a rookie anymore.”
And he’s teammates see the difference.
“He’s definitely more commanding than he was last year,” left tackle Trent Brown said. “He’s not timid at all. So I’m excited to see the progress.
“He understands that this is his team. And he commands the locker room in such a manner.”
It is Jones’ team. And it’s apparently also Jones’ offense, considering the “open conversation” he’s having these days with a three-headed leadership group of Belichick, Patricia and Judge running the new-look New England offensive attack.