1. The Patriots offensive coaching staff is going to look a lot different in 2022. Josh McDaniels has taken a number of assistants with him to Las Vegas — Mick Lombardi, Carmen Bricillo, Bo Hardegree and then Ivan Fears is expected to retire. While additions will likely be made, the only one to this point has been Joe Judge as an offensive assistant. The Patriots could very well could go into the 2022 season without an offensive coordinator, but that isn’t the problem. The problem is Mac Jones, in his second year in the league, doesn’t have anyone on the coaching staff to go to and work as closely with as he did with McDaniels this year. With no coach on the current staff with any experience working with quarterbacks, it is imperative for Bill Belichick to add a veteran coach for Jones to lean on (names that immediately come to mind are Adam Gase and Jerry Schuplinski). Sure, Belichick could have more of a role with the offense, but as head coach he isn’t able to spend all his time with Jones. For all that has been said about Jones’ mental game, it’s not a good idea to go into the 2022 season without an experienced coach for the quarterback to rely on.
2. Speaking with NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry on The Next Pats podcast, Jones downplayed having a new offensive coordinator (if one is even named) as he had a few while he was at Alabama. But, it’s definitely not the same. Jones wasn’t the starting quarterback for the majority of those years. It’s a lot different working with a coach as the starting quarterback, especially in the NFL, compared to just developing as a college player. Having three different offensive coordinators in three years cannot be viewed as a positive relating to his development.
3. Things could change, but given it hasn’t happened yet, it seems like Bill O’Brien will not be returning to New England and will be staying at Alabama as its offensive coordinator. Some don’t understand why, but from O’Brien’s perspective, aside from coming back to the place he grew up (North Shore of Massachusetts), what is the draw that Alabama cannot provide? The offensive coordinator position at Alabama has seen many go from there to the NFL as it’s viewed differently than other college jobs. Alabama consistently rolls out Heisman Trophy candidates at quarterback and historic offenses that will always make the OC look good. What if Jones takes a step back in Year 2? That would reflect poorly on O’Brien. If his goal is to ultimately get back into the NFL, his best chance to do that is probably staying at Alabama.
4. The Patriots defensive coaching staff and the way it’s structured continues to be a topic with many believing there’s too many voices with Jerod Mayo leading the meetings and Steve Belichick calling the plays. The only issue with that is this has been the case since Brian Flores left following the 2018 season. If it’s been happening for three years, why now all of a sudden is it a problem? Over those three years, the Patriots have finished second, seventh and first in points allowed and fourth, 15th and first overall. Sure, the numbers this year (second in points and fourth overall) may have been inflated because of a poor schedule, but this is a three-year sample. The Patriots defense has been very good the last three seasons and that is with the current structure in place.
5. Back to Jones, it was cool to see him show his personality this past week from the Pro Bowl, to NFL Honors, to Radio Row at the Super Bowl. We heard plenty of stories from him at Alabama and his outgoing personality, but that just didn’t come out his rookie season in New England. Here’s to hoping the quarterback opens up a bit in Year 2 and we see more of the outgoing personality he clearly has.
6. One of the biggest decisions with their own free agents the Patriots will need to make this offseason is on J.C. Jackson and whether to place the franchise tag on him, sign him to a long-term extension, or allow him to sign with another team via free agency. It seems like things are trending more towards allowing him to walk away. He’s going to demand a ton of money and it just feels like the odds are the Patriots will not be willing to pay what he’s looking for and he will end up with another team. Placing the franchise tag on him doesn’t really make sense because it’s not like the Patriots are in all-in to win for 2022, they are also looking at the bigger picture.
7. As it relates to the Bengals and Rams in Super Bowl LVI, the poor Cincinnati offensive line is getting overlooked. Just three weeks ago in the divisional round against the Titans, Joe Burrow was sacked nine times. This Sunday, the Bengals line will be tasked with stopping Aaron Donald and one of the best fronts in the league, which finished with seventh in sacks during the regular season. While a blowout may not be in the cards, a convincing Rams win seems to be.